When Sky Sports unveiled its new TikTok channel, Halo, on November 13, 2025, the broadcaster likely expected applause for championing female sports fans and amplifying women’s voices. Instead, the reception was swift, fierce, and overwhelmingly negative. Within just three days, the channel was axed—leaving behind a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of gendered marketing and the importance of truly listening to your audience.
Halo was introduced as an “inclusive, dedicated platform for women to enjoy and explore content from all sports, while amplifying female voices and perspectives,” according to Sky Sports’ launch announcement. The channel’s branding leaned heavily on pastel colors, heart graphics, and a tagline describing it as the “little sister” (or “lil sis”) of Sky Sports. At its core, the project aimed to build a community for female fans, whether casual or committed, with “fun, trend-led, and relatable content.”
But the content itself—filled with references to “hot girl walks,” matcha lattes, and even toy-collecting memes—quickly drew the ire of sports fans online. One now-infamous post featured a clip of Manchester City players Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland combining for a goal against Bournemouth, captioned, “How the matcha + hot girl walk combo hits.” Instead of resonating, the post and others like it were branded as “patronising,” “sexist,” and “infantilising” by viewers across TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). Many argued that, rather than amplifying women’s sport, Halo’s approach trivialized female fandom and leaned into outdated stereotypes.
It wasn’t just the tone and content that bothered critics—it was also the very premise of the channel. Emily Trees, 23, told BBC Newsbeat, “We’ve spent the last 50 years trying to come away from the stereotypes around women’s sport, and trying to make women’s sport seen as an entity in itself rather than just as an extension of what men can do. We deserve our own space, something that’s ours. We don’t need to be the ‘little sister’ to anyone.”
Girls on the Ball, a prominent platform covering women’s football, echoed these frustrations. On X, they posted, “Have many thoughts which I will get to when not under a mountain of writing but all I can ask is why? The branding (one day can we please be past the pink/peach stage?!), the premise, the copy… Can’t imagine this is what women sports fans want.” Their sentiment was widely shared: fans wanted representation, not segregation or “pink-washed” content.
Millie Jones, a 27-year-old sports fan, summed up a common perspective: “As a sports fan, I’ve consumed generic Sky Sports media for the entirety of the time that I’ve been into sport. I don’t need a pink, glittery sidepiece to the normal content.”
The backlash was not limited to social media commentary. Some users created spoof posts mocking Halo’s content, which quickly went viral. Ironically, while the channel was pitched at women, many of its featured athletes were men—a detail that only fueled criticism about the channel’s direction and authenticity. One social media user declared, “Sky Sports Halo has got to be one of the worst concepts I’ve ever seen. So condescending. Creating a dumbed down sports channel for women is unbelievably sexist. Incredible that it was approved and that it’s still live.”
Initially, Sky Sports’ head of social media and audience development, Andy Gill, had expressed pride and excitement about the launch, posting on LinkedIn, “I couldn’t be prouder and more excited about this launch. Proud, because this has been driven by the women in our team and embraced and supported by ALL across the business. And excited, because of, well, the possibilities.” But as criticism mounted, the company’s tone changed sharply.
By the evening of November 15, just two days after the launch, Sky Sports issued a statement on social media: “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.”
All but two posts were quickly deleted from the Halo TikTok account, with the remaining message serving as both an apology and a promise to do better in the future. By November 16, the project was officially dead—its lifespan barely stretching across a single weekend.
The speed and scale of the backlash reflected a broader shift in expectations around gender representation in sports media. As noted by The Independent, the negative response was “almost universally negative, with fans arguing it was patronising and sexist.” Many pointed out that the real progress for women’s sport comes from equal visibility and thoughtful representation within mainstream platforms, not from creating gender-segregated spaces adorned with pink branding and cutesy graphics.
Some observers initially welcomed the idea of a dedicated platform for female sports fans, but most agreed that Halo’s execution missed the mark. The choice to focus on trends like matcha lattes and “hot girl walks” rather than substantive sports content struck many as regressive, especially at a time when interest in women’s sport is at an all-time high and demands for parity are louder than ever.
Sky Sports’ rapid U-turn was seen as a relief by many who felt the campaign undermined, rather than elevated, the progress made in women’s sport over recent years. The broadcaster’s promise to “learn” from the experience was met with cautious optimism, but also skepticism. After all, the failure of Halo underscored that good intentions alone aren’t enough—execution and genuine engagement with the intended audience are crucial.
In the words of one social media user, the episode stands as a “cautionary tale” for brands and broadcasters seeking to champion diversity and inclusion: “Fans made clear that they want parity, respect and thoughtful representation—not pink filters, emojis and gendered marketing.”
As the dust settles, the message from fans and advocates is unmistakable. Women’s sport doesn’t need a “little sister” channel; it needs equality, visibility, and respect within the broader sporting conversation. The demise of Halo may sting for Sky Sports, but it also offers a valuable lesson: listen first, and never underestimate the intelligence—and passion—of your audience.
