The Chinese streaming platform Migu has decided to remove from the broadcast calendar the next match between Racing de Santander and Real Madrid, which will be played on Sunday at El Sardinero. The measure, which affects an audience of 400 million subscribers, comes in the context of the controversy surrounding French striker Kylian Mbappé and his comments about Mao Zedong.
The conflict arose when Mbappé made statements praising the Chinese communist leader, which provoked a reaction from the Beijing government. In response, Chinese authorities banned all commercial activities involving the player, including the broadcast of his matches. As a consequence, Migu, which is the company in charge of broadcasting LaLiga in China, has decided not to broadcast the match between Real Madrid and Racing.
The match, which is being held at the El Sardinero Stadium, is the first of the season in which Mbappé will participate with Real Madrid. The absence of broadcasting in China will have significant economic repercussions for both LaLiga and the Madrid club, since the Chinese audience represents an important source of income from broadcast rights.
Real Madrid and the Spanish Football Federation have expressed concern about the decision, underlining the importance of international coverage for the club and the league. At the same time, Racing de Santander has shown understanding of the situation, although it also recognizes the loss of visibility implied by the exclusion of the Chinese transmission.
With the suspension of the broadcast, Spanish football in China faces a vacuum that could affect the commercial relationship between both countries. Negotiations are expected to continue as clubs and the league look for alternatives to maintain the presence of their games in the Chinese market, which remains one of the largest in the world.