Sky Sports has scrapped its female-targeted TikTok channel Halo just three days after its launch, following widespread criticism that it was patronising and sexist. The channel, described as the 'lil sis' of Sky Sports, was intended to attract young female fans but instead faced a torrent of derision for its content, which included references to matcha, Barbie and 'hot girl walks'.
The backlash began immediately after Halo's launch on Thursday, with a now-deleted introductory post that promised to champion female athletes. Critics noted that despite being aimed at women, five of the channel's first 11 videos featured male sports stars. One post, showing Manchester City players Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland, was captioned: 'How the matcha + hot girl walk combo hits'.
Women's football website GirlsontheBall expressed dismay at the branding and premise, while She Kicks magazine described some posts as 'strange'. One commenter called it 'one of the most insanely patronising and misogynistic activations I've seen from a brand'. In response to criticism, Halo initially defended itself, but Sky Sports performed a U-turn on Saturday.
In a statement on X, Sky Sports said: '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.' The swift reversal was welcomed by women's sports fans, with some noting Halo's lifespan was shorter than that of the European Super League.
