Disney+ says ad break during Women's Champions League match was unscheduled
Streaming service Disney+ has apologised for an unscheduled ad break during Arsenal's Women's Champions League match against HB Koge, one of several technical problems that marred the season's opening broadcast.
Broadcast disrupted by technical faults
A three-minute advert break interrupted Tuesday's Women's Champions League match between Arsenal and HB Koge while the score was 0-0 in the second half. Disney+ told BBC Sport the interruption was not scheduled and resulted from a technical issue, adding that its team was working to prevent it happening again and acknowledging viewers' frustration.
The ad break was just one of several glitches during the season-opening coverage. The new studio show, "The Hangout", hosted by Alex Scott alongside former England forward Lianne Sanderson and content creators Alex Bailess and Tyra Mills, suffered from audio synchronisation problems, players unable to hear questions during pitch-side interviews, a malfunctioning rotating studio floor, and camera angles blocked by cushions. A dog named Barley Boy, who has 137,000 Instagram followers, also appeared on set without any explanation for his presence beyond his social media following. A vegetable platter being served also featured on air.
In Milan, reporter Roberto Perrone covering Inter Milan's match against Sweden's Hacken also experienced audio failures; once sound returned, viewers were shown an unrelated quiz about types of pasta and Italy's largest city.
Fans and football journalists criticised the coverage on social media as overly "gimmicky," arguing it undermines the credibility of women's football and that matches deserve the same focus and analytical depth as men's football broadcasts. This is the second season Disney+ has broadcast the Women's Champions League, with matches produced by ESPN.
On the pitch, Arsenal won the match 1-0 in their opening group game of the season, thanks to a stoppage-time penalty converted by Mariona Caldentey.
The criticism echoes concerns raised last November over the Women's League Cup draw being conducted by a social media influencer, as well as Sky Sports' decision to scrap its women's-focused TikTok channel, Halo, following a backlash. Disney+'s coverage continues on Wednesday with Chelsea hosting Austria Wien.
