Sky Sports announced a female-focused TikTok channel, ‘Sky Sports Halo’, on 13 November, but it was axed just three days later following widespread criticism that it was sexist, patronizing, and relied on outdated stereotypes rather than genuinely serving female sports fans. Branded as the ‘lil sis’ to the main Sky Sports account, the channel was promoted as an “inclusive, dedicated platform for women to enjoy and explore content from all sports, while amplifying female voices and perspectives.”
However, many viewers argued that the execution was condescending. The content leaned heavily on a ‘female lens’ and ‘girl-coded’ language, using pastel aesthetics and pop culture references that suggested women needed sports to be packaged in a softer, more superficial way. It focused on simplified explanations and short clips—often of male athletes—rather than insightful analysis, serious coverage of women’s sport, or in-depth storytelling. Viewers said this approach implied that women were less knowledgeable or less serious fans than men, framing them as a separate, less informed audience. Rather than integrating women into mainstream sports coverage and giving women’s sport equal prominence, Halo appeared to reinforce the very gender stereotypes and divisions it claimed to challenge, leading to the strong backlash that ultimately prompted Sky to shut it down.
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Sky clearly did not intend for the channel to be received in the way that it was. The stated aim of Sky Sports Halo was to create an inclusive space for female sports fans, particularly targeting a younger demographic on TikTok. By blending entertainment, lifestyle content, and sports news, Sky hoped to make sport feel more accessible and appealing to viewers who might find traditional sports coverage intimidating, overly technical, or hostile. The idea of a separate channel was, in theory, to provide a safer, more welcoming environment than the main Sky Sports platforms, which can be dominated by male voices and, at times, toxic commentary.
The failure of Halo illustrates a fundamental misreading of the audience and a strategic blind spot in how the ‘inclusion’ was executed. Instead of integrating women into the core sports conversation with the same depth, seriousness, and respect afforded to male fans, Sky ring-fenced them into a side-channel built on clichés about what women supposedly like: pastel aesthetics, ‘girl-coded’ language, and simplified explanations.
Sky Sports Halo is not an isolated case of female sports fans feeling misunderstood. For instance, a recent Financial Times article tried to link the surge in popularity of a romance novel to increased female attendance at a hockey game, implying that women’s interest in sport needed to be mediated through romance and fiction. What made the backlash to Sky Sports Halo particularly striking was that it came from a broadcaster generally regarded as a leader in women’s sport. Sky is one of the biggest investors in women’s competitions across the UK and Ireland and has helped raise the profile of leagues and athletes through serious, consistent coverage.
There is a clear gap in the market for female-focused sports media. A recent YouGov survey found that 35% of British men describe themselves as “very interested” in sport, compared with just 9% of women. That disparity is often interpreted as women being less engaged, but it also reflects how hostile or alienating mainstream sports spaces can feel for many women. A dedicated, women-centered sports channel has the potential to address that imbalance. It could offer an alternative to the sexism, misogyny, and casual dismissal of women’s sport that remain widespread in comment sections and on major platforms.
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By GlobalDataIn recent years, women’s sport has experienced remarkable momentum, with 2024 becoming the most-watched year on record. That trajectory has continued into 2025, marked by landmark tournaments, including the Women’s Euro’s and Women’s Rugby World Cup, a sharp rise in commercial backing, and an unprecedented level of media exposure that has firmly embedded women’s sport in the mainstream.
On social platforms, average viewing time per user has more than doubled, reaching 9 hours and 45 minutes—evidence of deep, sustained engagement rather than fleeting interest. Flagship events such as the Women’s Euros and the Women’s Rugby World Cup have dramatically expanded the audience base, drawing in millions of additional viewers, especially younger fans discovering these competitions for the first time. Leading women’s sports properties have seen substantial growth, with views increasing by around 60% on TikTok and 55% on YouTube. This surge has been further driven by female athletes like the Lionesses, whose personal accounts often outperform official channels when it comes to engaging the crucial 13–34 female demographic.
Social media is evidently vital in growing the popularity and exposure of women’s sport. Historically, women’s sports received minimal and often stereotypical coverage from traditional media outlets. Social media has shattered these barriers, allowing athletes, teams, and leagues to create and distribute their own content, ensuring their achievements are seen by a global audience. Even Sky themselves reported earlier this year that 85% of UK sports fans under 35 are interested in atleast one women’s sport, yet only half of women’s sports fans find content focused on female player skills easy to find.
Sky Sports Halo was, in many ways, a defensible experiment. Sky’s intentions were grounded in a real issue: women frequently encounter hostility, sexism, and gatekeeping in mainstream sports spaces, particularly online. However, it would have been far more effective to develop content that treats female fans as equally committed, knowledgeable, and diverse as any other audience, and to involve women—fans and athletes—in shaping that content from the very beginning. More broadly, Sky’s impact will be maximised if it continues to strengthen moderation and inclusivity on its main channels, gives women’s sport equal prominence in scheduling and marketing, and maintains its position as a leading investor in women’s competitions.
A TikTok channel built on pinkwashed branding, “lil sis” positioning, and subtly sexist content is not the route to growing women’s sport; meaningful progress will come from treating women’s sport—and its fans—with the same depth, respect, and visibility as the men’s game.
