Sky Sports Axes 'Problematic' TikTok Channel Halo Just Three Days After Launch
In a swift reversal, Sky Sports has pulled the plug on its short-lived female-targeted TikTok channel, Halo, just three days after launching the platform with plans to create a space for women. The decision comes after widespread criticism that the channel's content was patronising and "unbelievably sexist".
The channel's launch post aimed to promote female sports enthusiasts and champion women athletes but instead faced ridicule over its heavily branded, Instagram-inspired aesthetic and lack of substance in terms of sports content. Critics pointed out that despite being marketed towards women, five of Halo's first 11 videos featured male sports stars.
Sky Sports initially defended the channel, stating it was intended to cater to young, female fans, but after mounting backlash, they quickly changed course. The broadcaster announced on Saturday that it would be discontinuing all activity on the account, citing a need to "listen" and improve its approach to creating inclusive spaces for sports fans.
Women's football communities were quick to express their disappointment with Halo's launch, describing the content as "strange", "patronising", and "misogynistic". Critics argued that Sky Sports was trying to grow its brand in women's football but fell flat with a channel that catered to the wrong audience.
The decision to axe Halo has been welcomed by fans of women's sports, who note that the channel had an even shorter lifespan than the ill-fated European Super League. Social media users are now mourning the loss of "Halo", with some joking about the channel's demise as a sort of dark comedy victory for those who called out its flaws from the start.
In a swift reversal, Sky Sports has pulled the plug on its short-lived female-targeted TikTok channel, Halo, just three days after launching the platform with plans to create a space for women. The decision comes after widespread criticism that the channel's content was patronising and "unbelievably sexist".
The channel's launch post aimed to promote female sports enthusiasts and champion women athletes but instead faced ridicule over its heavily branded, Instagram-inspired aesthetic and lack of substance in terms of sports content. Critics pointed out that despite being marketed towards women, five of Halo's first 11 videos featured male sports stars.
Sky Sports initially defended the channel, stating it was intended to cater to young, female fans, but after mounting backlash, they quickly changed course. The broadcaster announced on Saturday that it would be discontinuing all activity on the account, citing a need to "listen" and improve its approach to creating inclusive spaces for sports fans.
Women's football communities were quick to express their disappointment with Halo's launch, describing the content as "strange", "patronising", and "misogynistic". Critics argued that Sky Sports was trying to grow its brand in women's football but fell flat with a channel that catered to the wrong audience.
The decision to axe Halo has been welcomed by fans of women's sports, who note that the channel had an even shorter lifespan than the ill-fated European Super League. Social media users are now mourning the loss of "Halo", with some joking about the channel's demise as a sort of dark comedy victory for those who called out its flaws from the start.
3 days in, Sky Sports is already ghosting Halo like they can't handle the drama 
. They had a chance to create a space that actually resonated with women sports fans and instead came across as trying too hard to fit a particular mold. I mean, who does that? 
The irony is, they were literally promoting female athletes, but the content was all about male sports stars... it just didn't add up. And let's be real, their response to the backlash wasn't exactly smooth sailing either 
. I'm glad women's football communities are speaking out and holding Sky Sports accountable for this one... fingers crossed they learn from their mistakes 
... I mean, come on Sky Sports, you gotta listen to your audience right? They were basically saying "we care" about women in sports but then showed 5 of their first 11 vids with dude athletes 
. It's like, be serious for a sec! But honestly, it was kinda predictable given the backlash they got online 
... these channels gotta be real and give us something more than just a pretty face 
.
. Maybe they'll come back stronger (and wiser) in the future? 
. I mean, yeah, the content was kinda weird and not really what women sports fans were looking for... but still, three days is pretty short-lived even for a social media experiment 
. Not sure what they're gonna do now, but I'm hoping they'll take some of that criticism and use it to create something better... or at least not so cringeworthy 
.
sky sports knew they were taking a risk by launching halo in such a short time frame, especially with how much backlash they got online. it's like, if you're gonna create a space for women in sports, you gotta have the substance to back it up, and from what i saw, they just didn't deliver 
. still, i think its cool that they listened to their critics and decided to pull the plug instead of ignoring the problems altogether 
i mean, it's not like they were trying to be sexist or anything, just thought they could make a pretty cool looking channel without really putting in the effort 
anyway, i guess this is a lesson learned for them - when you try to create an inclusive space but don't actually listen to what people want, you get shut down 