Disney+ says three-minute ad break during Arsenal v HB Koge was unintended
Disney+ has confirmed a three-minute advertising interruption that cut into the Women's Champions League match between Arsenal and HB Koge on Tuesday evening was not scheduled, with coverage halted while the game was 0-0 in the second half.
The broadcaster, which won the rights for the Women's Champions League from the 2025-26 season for five years, is in its second season of carrying the competition and uses ESPN to produce the matches. Disney introduced a new live studio element this season called "The Hangout", billed as match-day build-up, half-time analysis and post-match reaction, and the first show was hosted by Alex Scott alongside Lianne Sanderson, content creators Alex Bailess and Tyra Mills, and a dog called Barley Boy.
Viewers reported several other technical problems during the evening, including players waiting to be interviewed who could not hear questions from the studio, a rotating floor that malfunctioned, camera shots obstructed by cushions and audio synchronisation problems. Italian reporter Roberto Perrone, covering Inter Milan's match against Swedish side Hacken in Milan, also experienced audio issues; when sound returned viewers were shown a non-football-themed quiz with questions about types of pasta and Italy's biggest city.
Responding to BBC Sport, Disney said: "We are aware that our customers experienced an unintended interruption during the second half of the match on Tuesday evening," Disney told BBC Sport. "This was a technical issue and our team is taking steps to ensure it does not happen again. "This was not an intended ad break and we understand the frustration this disruption caused to our customers watching the game."
On the field, Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory in their first game of this season's competition thanks to a stoppage-time Mariona Caldentey penalty.
The studio presentation drew criticism from viewers and commentators. One fan wrote on X: "I think a lot of the problem with the debates in women's football broadcasting over analysis and punditry vs content creation and gimmicky fun, is that in men's football you can get both - and in different shows. "In women's football, you get one show, and so they try to do it all." Another fan wrote: "We want women's football to be taken seriously, yet coverage like this undermines that. Personality and fun have their place, but not at the expense of the football. "The game doesn't need gimmicks to make it interesting. Give the players, the competition and the football itself the same focus, analysis and respect we expect elsewhere in the sport. "Women's football is more than capable of being the main event." Megan Feringa, a journalist for the Athletic, said: "Watching Disney's coverage is like going in and out of a lucid dream. "Why is there a dog? Why is the couch spinning? Why do the adverts cut right into analysis?" Flo Lloyd-Hughes, a broadcaster and writer for the Cutback, said: "Why does women's football coverage always have to be so gimmicky? It's the Champions League, not Blue Peter. "Put some pundits who know about the teams in a studio, make sure the tech works and have a decent bit of time for build-up and analysis to contextualise everything."
The evening's presentation included non-traditional elements such as a vegetable platter being served and a rotating floor, and one guest on the set was a dog with 137,000 Instagram followers; there was no explanation for his presence on set other than his Instagram following. Alex Scott (centre) and Shebahn Aherne will alternate hosting duties throughout the competition.
Last November, concerns were raised about the professionalism and legitimacy of the Women's League Cup quarter-final and semi-final draw after it was conducted by social media influencer GK Barry, and in the same month Sky Sports scrapped its new female-focused TikTok channel, Halo, following online backlash to posts described as "patronising" and "sexist."
Disney+ coverage continues on Wednesday with Chelsea hosting Austria Wien at 20:00 BST.