Sky Sports has doubled down on its new “Halo” initiative despite widespread backlash from female sports fans who say the platform patronises women and oversimplifies content they’re already perfectly capable of understanding.
The broadcaster launched Sky Sports Halo on TikTok earlier this week, describing it as the “lil sis” of Sky Sports and targeting female viewers with content featuring pink text, heart graphics, and what critics have labelled “girlboss” language. The channel aims to provide a “dedicated platform for women to enjoy and explore content from all sports” with trend-led and relatable content.
The Backlash
The reaction has been swift and overwhelmingly negative from the very audience Sky hoped to engage. Female sports fans have questioned why they need a separate, simplified platform when they’ve been watching regular sports coverage all along. Many view the initiative as condescending, particularly the branding that positions women’s sports content as the “little sister” to the main offering.
The comments from viewers highlight a fundamental disconnect between Sky’s intentions and what female fans actually want. Rather than dumbed-down content with stereotypical branding, women are asking why they can’t simply access all sports coverage through the main Sky Sports channels they’re already paying for.
Sky Pushes Forward
Despite the criticism, Sky Sports shows no signs of cancelling the initiative. The channel is set to livestream England Netball’s match against New Zealand on 16 November, demonstrating the broadcaster’s commitment to the platform. Sky recently surpassed 2 billion views and 167 million engagements on TikTok, with the platform having the highest engagement rate among female audiences across all Sky Sports social channels.
Missing the Mark
The real issue isn’t that Sky wants to engage female sports fans or highlight women’s sports – many agree these are worthy goals. The problem is the execution, which reinforces outdated stereotypes about how women consume sports content. Female fans don’t need sports explained through pink aesthetics and lifestyle content – they’re already watching, understanding, and engaging with regular sports coverage just fine.
Rather than creating a separate, aesthetically “feminine” space, critics argue Sky should simply integrate more women’s sports coverage into their existing channels and treat female viewers as the knowledgeable sports fans they already are.
