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‘Halo’ was intended to be a female-focused TikTok channel that was hit with immediate backlash, as audiences labelled it ‘sexist’ and ‘patronising.’ Sky Sports has shut it down after only three days.
Sky Sports has shut down its new ‘Halo’ TikTok account after only three days following intense internet backlash.
Originally intended to be a female-focused source for sports information, Halo used terminology such as ‘hot girl walks’ and ‘little sister’ when posting highlights from recent games and events. Many regarded the content as patronising and belittling.
In a statement, Sky Sports said that it intended for Halo to be ‘a welcoming community for female fans, whether casual or committed, through fun, trend-led, and relatable content.’ This goal was evidently not reached in the 72 hours it was live.
As always, the internet made sure its opinion was heard. ‘Sounds just like the kind of thing ChatGPT would tell a marketing executive was a great idea,’ wrote one user on Reddit.
‘Sounds like they got it mostly right, except for the bit where they seem to think that women and girls are from a different galaxy,’ added another.
Sky Sports axes 'sexist' TikTok channel Halo after three days
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Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, sports fan Millie Jones said that the move to deliberately target women with pink lettering was insulting.
‘As a sports fan, I’ve consumed generic Sky Sports media for the entirety of the time that I’ve been into sport,’ she argued. ‘I don’t need a glittery sidepiece to the normal content.’
Halo was first launched with a post (it’s now been deleted) that said: ‘We’re about ALL sports and championing female athletes. We’re here for the culture, community and connection. We don’t just watch sports – we live it.’ Interestingly, five of the first eleven videos posted featured male sports stars.
Women’s digital football magazine GirlsontheBall heavily criticised Sky Sports on X. ‘Can we please be past the pink/peach stage?!,’ they wrote. ‘Can’t imagine this is what women sports fans want.’
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 and taking a brief look at the… https://t.co/4np0hoHY2p
— Girls on the Ball (@GirlsontheBall) November 13, 2025
Andy Gill, the social media head at Sky Sports, backed Halo in a LinkedIn post last week.
‘I couldn’t be prouder and more excited about this launch,’ he wrote. ‘Proud, because this has been driven by the women in our team and embraced and supported by ALL across the business.’
Comments under the post were less enthusiastic. ‘I am absolutely appalled by this channel,’ said one LinkedIn account. ‘It’s horrendous and a slap in the face to female sports fans. Sky Sports Halo has got to be one of the worst concepts I’ve ever seen.’
