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Contracts Canceled, TV Ads Pulled After Mbappé Meme Apology

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Kylian Mbappé issued a public apology after describing a meme that placed his face on a Chinese dictator.
Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground announced contract terminations with Mbappé on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
CCTV suspended all La Liga broadcasts and removed advertisements featuring Mbappé.
Eastroc Beverage shares fell 4.1% in Shanghai and Mengniu dropped about 3% in Hong Kong.

History

In October 2019, NBA executive Daryl Morey’s tweet supporting Hong Kong protests sparked a sweeping Chinese backlash that halted sports-media partnerships. Within days, Alibaba suspended NBA merchandise, CCTV removed related ads, the Shanghai Composite fell 2.5%, and NBA China revenue, once $1.5 billion, dropped about 30 %. Echoing that pattern, Mbappé’s October 2024 meme controversy led CCTV to suspend La Liga broadcasts, while Mengniu, Dongpeng, and Milkground ended sponsorships, sending shares down 3-4 %. These incidents demonstrate China’s rapid punitive response to foreign figures, reinforcing state-driven brand control and warning sponsors of reputational risk.

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In October 2019, NBA executive Daryl Morey’s tweet supporting Hong Kong protests sparked a sweeping Chinese backlash that halted sports-media partnerships. Within days, Alibaba suspended NBA merchandise, CCTV removed related ads, the Shanghai Composite fell 2.5%, and NBA China revenue, once $1.5 billion, dropped about 30 %. Echoing that pattern, Mbappé’s October 2024 meme controversy led CCTV to suspend La Liga broadcasts, while Mengniu, Dongpeng, and Milkground ended sponsorships, sending shares down 3-4 %. These incidents demonstrate China’s rapid punitive response to foreign figures, reinforcing state-driven brand control and warning sponsors of reputational risk.

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