Sky Sports shuts down Halo TikTok channel after sexism backlash

Sky Sports shuts down Halo TikTok channel after sexism backlash

Sky Sports has discontinued its newly launched female-focused TikTok channel, Halo, following widespread criticism that its content was patronizing and sexist. The decision came just two days after the channel's debut, with the broadcaster admitting it "didn't get it right" in a statement posted on Saturday night.

What was Halo?

Unveiled on Thursday, Halo was marketed as an "inclusive, dedicated platform for women to enjoy and explore content from all sports, while amplifying female voices and perspectives." Sky Sports described its mission as building "a welcoming community for female fans, whether casual or committed, through fun, trend-led, and relatable content."

However, the channel's execution quickly drew ire. Posts included references to "hot girl walks," matcha drinks, and Labubu toys-content critics argued was infantilizing. One video, titled "Explaining 2008 Crashgate in girl terms," featured pink glowing text and nail polish emojis, while another captioned a clip of Manchester City's Erling Haaland scoring with, "How the matcha + hot girl walk combo hits."

Backlash and criticism

Social media users condemned the channel as a regression for women's sports coverage. One commenter remarked, "One step forwards, 50 years back," while others called the concept "condescending" and "unbelievably sexist." GirlsontheBall, a prominent women's football platform, questioned the approach on X (formerly Twitter), writing: "Have many thoughts... but all I can ask is why? The branding (one day can we please be past the pink/peach stage?!), the premise, the copy..."

Critics also noted the irony of a channel aimed at women predominantly featuring male athletes in its posts. Another user described Halo as "one of the worst concepts I've ever seen," adding, "Creating a dumbed-down sports channel for women is unbelievably sexist. Incredible that it was approved."

Sky Sports' response

By Saturday evening, Sky Sports had deleted all but two posts from the Halo account. The remaining statement read: "Our intention for Halo was to create a space alongside our existing channel for new, young, female fans. We've listened. We didn't get it right. As a result, we're stopping all activity on this account. We're learning and remain as committed as ever to creating spaces where fans feel included and inspired."

Andy Gill, Sky Sports' head of social media and audience development, had initially expressed enthusiasm for the launch on LinkedIn, writing, "I couldn't be prouder and more excited about [Halo's] launch." The BBC reported that Sky declined to provide further comment beyond its public statement.

Broader implications

The swift shutdown underscores the challenges media organizations face in engaging female audiences without resorting to stereotypes. While Sky Sports reiterated its commitment to inclusive content, the Halo debacle serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of superficial or reductive approaches to gender-specific programming.