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Sky Sports Axes 'Patronizing' Halo TikTok Channel After Fierce Backlash
16 Nov
Summary
- Sky Sports shuts down Halo TikTok channel just 3 days after launch
- Halo faced criticism for being "patronizing" towards female sports fans
- Channel featured content with pink text, love hearts, and references to matcha lattes
On 2025-11-13, Sky Sports launched a new TikTok channel called Halo, which it had dubbed the "lil sis" of its main sports platform. The channel was intended to create a space for new, young, female sports fans. However, the broadcaster faced fierce backlash almost immediately over the "patronizing" tone and content of the Halo posts.
Just 3 days later, on 2025-11-16, Sky Sports announced it would be shutting down the Halo channel entirely. In an Instagram post, the company acknowledged that it "didn't get it right" with the concept and said it was stopping all activity on the account. The initial Halo launch message had promised content focused on "ALL sports and championing female athletes," but the actual posts featured love hearts, pink text, and references to matcha lattes, which drew widespread criticism for being condescending.
Sky Sports said it is "learning" from this experience and remains committed to creating inclusive spaces for all sports fans. However, the rapid demise of the Halo brand highlights the challenges media companies can face when attempting to cater to specific demographics in a way that is perceived as inauthentic or patronizing.
