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 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 stating the channel was 'about ALL sports and championing female athletes'. Critics noted that despite being aimed at women, five of the 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', which a commenter described as 'one of the most insanely patronising and misogynistic activations' from a brand.
Women's football website GirlsontheBall expressed dismay at the branding, asking when the 'pink/peach stage' would end. She Kicks magazine called some posts 'strange', including one about New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani that used the term 'rizzing'. Sky Sports initially defended the channel but performed a U-turn on Saturday, posting on X: 'We didn't get it right. As a result we're stopping all activity on this account.'
The swift demise of Halo was welcomed by women's sports fans, with some noting it had a shorter lifespan than the European Super League. One commenter joked, 'Halo has passed away. RIP u will live on forever.' Sky Sports said it remains committed to creating inclusive spaces for fans.
