Sports22 September, 20262 min read
Disney+ Apologises After Unscheduled Three-Minute Ad Break Interrupts Arsenal Vs HB Køge
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Unscheduled three-minute advertising interruption during Arsenal vs HB Køge Women’s Champions League match. Disney+ apologized to fans and called the break an unintended technical issue.
Unscheduled ad break
Disney+ confirmed a three-minute advert break during Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League match against HB Koge was not scheduled, as Arsenal and HB Koge were drawing 0-0 in the second half on Tuesday. Disney+ said the interruption was an unintended interruption caused by a technical issue and understood the frustration caused, while Arsenal went on to win 1-0 in their first game of this season’s competition thanks to a stoppage-time Mariona Caldentey penalty.
The Guardian described fans being unable to see the action for about three minutes with some 15 minutes remaining, as the match ended 1-0 over the Danish side HB Køge. The broadcast, produced by ESPN, also ran into other technical issues including players waiting to be interviewed but unable to hear questions from the studio, and audio synchronisation problems.
Apology and backlash
Disney+ issued an apology to football fans after a surprise commercial break cut off live coverage during the second half of Arsenal’s opening UEFA Women’s Champions League fixture. A broadcaster spokesperson said, “This was not an intended ad break and we understand the frustration this disruption caused to our customers watching the game,” and Disney confirmed technical steps were being implemented to prevent similar issues in future broadcasts.
The Guardian said some viewers saw the adverts while others were presented with the words “commercial break in progress” on an orange backdrop. Flo Lloyd-Hughes wrote on X that Disney’s new UWCL coverage was “the closest we’ve seen to CBBC football (derogatory),” as fans also criticised the presence of a dog in the studio and a quiz about Italy.
The Hangout under fire
Disney+ coverage also drew criticism for the unusually quirky nature of its analysis show, with the studio featuring a dog called Barley Boy and a quiz about Italy that included a question about pasta. The Telegraph said the dog’s presence had no explanation other than a mention that he has 137,000 followers on Instagram, and it described the evening as resembling children’s television at times.
“The Hangout will combine expert analysis with fresh perspectives and fan engagement.”
Disney+ said its new live studio programme, The Hangout, would combine expert analysis with fresh perspectives and fan engagement, and it billed the show as a “new match-day experience for fans, delivering pre-match build-up, half-time analysis and post-match reaction”. Disney+ coverage continues on Wednesday with Chelsea hosting Austria Wien at 20:00 BST, and the BBC said the programme would air as matches are produced by ESPN.