The earliest recorded history of women playing sports dates back to ancient civilizations; yet, 4,000 years later, women are consistently dismissed in the sports landscape. No matter how women engage with sports, whether it be playing, watching, or other ways, many narratives claim that they do not understand sports, only watch it for the men, or do not genuinely care for the games themselves. Some of these people are vocal about wanting women out of sports, but there are also people who perpetuate these ideals unintentionally. On November 13, 2025, Sky Sports launched “Halo,” a TikTok channel that was intended to be a female-focused sports channel. Despite their positive aim, the account quickly drew criticism.
When Sky Sports launched the account, they described it as an inclusive platform amplifying female perspectives and voices in order to build a welcoming community for fans identifying as women. They also dubbed the account the “lil sis” of Sky Sports. The account itself was similar to any other sports account, posting highlights and interview clips. The difference was that it made the videos pink, sparkly, and filled with other stereotypically feminine aesthetics. Many people, particularly women, found the account infantilizing, patronizing, and sexist. Instead of feeling included, many people felt as if the account was a form of othering.
One video that especially sparked controversy was a video of New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani showing his support for his football club Arsenal. The TikTok was captioned "Thinking about Zohran Mamdani rizzing us and Arsenal up." The caption reinforced the stereotype women have been fighting forever: that they only watch sports for men and not for genuine love of the game. In response to the TikToks, Averie Lee ’26 said, “It's crazy how these harmful stereotypes about women are still being perpetuated. I don't need to have sparkles and a pink background to be able to watch sports; I watch sports because I'm genuinely interested in the gameplay itself.”
Although the motivation behind the account may have been positive, the inherent marginalization only reinforced stereotypes. It created a division between female and male fans, where women were secondary to men. While talking about women’s perspectives in sports, Edie Mendard ’26 stated, “I think it’s painting women as ignorant to sports culture when in reality not only do we understand it, but we contribute a very valuable point of view that should not be deemed girly. That channel perpetuates the pattern of the ignorance that we should be moving away from by further outcasting women from sports.”
Sky Sports’ girly nature implied that women will not engage in sports unless everything is hyperfeminine. The account also prioritized visual aesthetics and trends over substantial content or information regarding sports, furthering the stereotypes that women do not care about the actual sports, but rather the presentation. After years of fighting for gender equality in sports, the separate account dedicated to female fans felt like a step backwards.
The account was short-lived, however; it was shut down three days later due to the received backlash. Sky Sports released a statement on Instagram saying, “We’ve listened. We didn’t get it right. As a result, we’re stopping all activity on this account. We’re learning and remain as committed as ever to creating spaces where fans feel included and inspired.”
The Halo controversy serves as a reminder that sexism persists not only in those who are overt about their male-centric view on sports, but also through misguided attempts at inclusivity that overlook women’s passion and intellect. Gender equality in sports can only come through the true understanding that women are knowledgeable in the sporting landscape and are just as passionate as anyone else; they are not a separate market that needs special catering.