Sky Sports has pulled the plug on its new female-focused TikTok brand Halo just days after launch, following a wave of criticism that the channel was patronising and sexist.
The short-form channel, billed by Sky as a “little sister” to its main sports brand and promoted as an inclusive space for young female fans, mixed sports clips with heavily gendered memes and pink branding, referencing “hot girl walks”, matcha lattes, Barbies and other lifestyle tropes.
Posts were quickly condemned by women’s sport platforms and fans, who argued that Halo trivialised female fandom and undermined efforts to put women’s sport on an equal footing with men’s coverage. Critics also highlighted that a significant share of early posts focused on male athletes despite the positioning as a women-focused initiative.
In a brief statement left on the Halo account after most content was deleted, Sky Sports acknowledged it had “not got it right” and said it would stop all activity on the channel, adding that it remained committed to creating spaces where fans feel included and inspired.
The backlash has sparked a wider debate over how broadcasters and rights holders should court female audiences on social platforms – whether via dedicated gender-targeted brands, or by integrating women’s sport and female voices more fully into their main channels without relying on stereotypes and “dumbed down” presentation.
