Leeds employee stunned by controversial new Sky Sports platform that’s going viral on X
Sky Sports have introduced a new platform to cater for the growing number of female sports fans, but it has not gone down well.
Since 2021, women’s football has skyrocketed in terms of exposure and viewership, with the Lionesses’ success sparking a huge rise in the amount of female fans who are now interested in football.
Leeds Women play some of their home matches at Elland Road, and it’s brilliant to see the increasing number of fans that turn up.
Sky Sports has made a new TikTok channel for female sports supporters, but the announcement has received a wave of backlash.
Sky Sports create TikTok Channel for female sports fans
On 13 November, Sky Sports announced that they have created a new TikTok channel, Sky Sports Halo, that is for female sports fans, but the post read: “Introducing Sky Sports Halo – the lil sis of Sky Sports.”
Leeds’ digital media manager Craig Wilson responded to the announcement and said: “There needs to be a Netflix documentary on how this got signed off.”
- It’s a new TikTok channel solely dedicated to female sports fans
- The platform has just under 900 followers in the 24 hours after the announcement
- Their first post on TikTok has over 100,000 views in the first 24 hours
The phrasing of ‘Sky Sports’ lil sis’ has raised huge controversy online, with the announcement belittling it’s own channel through sexist phrasing.
The use of ‘lil’ (little) is demeaning towards an idea that is a brilliant concept for women to feel like they have as much of a voice in a world that has been unfortunately dominated by men.
Whilst it’s relevant for both male and female sports, teams in the lower leagues of the women’s game would hugely benefit from this exposure.
Leeds Women are attracting more fans each year
Leeds Women are aiming for National League promotion this season, with manager Simon Wood desperate to get his side into the second tier of women’s football.
Amy Woodruff has been excellent throughout the campaign, scoring the winner against Huddersfield on 12 October.
The 49ers have backed Daniel Farke in the summer transfer window, and an influx of cash into the team has led them to become one of the best sides in the third tier.
In 2024, the average attendance of fans at Elland Road for women’s games was 4,801, an increase of over 2,500 supporters from 2022.
Over 5,000 supporters watched Leeds Women defeat York City 3-0 on 17 November 2024, and social media has been a catalyst for the progression of female representation in football.
The initiative from Sky Sports is a good one, but the phrasing of the announcement is a clear example of the issue female sports fans are still facing.
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