Ad break during game was unscheduled, says Disney+

Disney+ won the broadcast rights for the Women's Champions League from the 2025-26 season for five years

>A three-minute advert break during a Women's Champions League game was not scheduled, says Disney+.

>Arsenal and HB Koge were drawing 0-0 in the second half on Tuesday when coverage was interrupted.

>It was one of several technical issues during the coverage, which fans said was "gimmicky" and "undermines" women's football. One guest was a dog with 137,000 Instagram followers.

>"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."

>Arsenal won 1-0 in their first game of this season's competition thanks to a stoppage-time Mariona Caldentey penalty.

>Disney's coverage also featured a vegetable platter being served and a rotating floor.

>Alex Scott hosted the first show of the season, alongside former England forward Lianne Sanderson, content creators Alex Bailess and Tyra Mills, and a dog called Barley Boy.

>There was no explanation for his presence on set other than his Instagram following.

>It was the second season of the Women's Champions League to be broadcast on Disney+. Matches are produced by ESPN.

>New this season is "The Hangout", described by Disney as a live studio show billed as a "new match-day experience for fans, delivering pre-match build-up, half-time analysis and post-match reaction".

>In a media release before the first round of fixtures, Disney said: "The Hangout will combine expert analysis with fresh perspectives and fan engagement."

>However, the evening was marred by a series of technical issues – from players waiting to be interviewed but unable to hear questions from the studio, to a rotating floor that appeared to have a mind of its own.

>There were also camera shots with cushions blocking the view of Scott, and audio synchronisation problems.

>Italian reporter Roberto Perrone, in Milan for Inter Milan's match against Swedish side Hacken, also encountered audio problems.

>When the sound returned, viewers were shown a non-football-themed quiz, with questions ranging from types of pasta to Italy's biggest city.

>Alex Scott (centre) and Shebahn Aherne will alternate hosting duties throughout the competition.

>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."

>Last November concerns were raised over the professionalism and legitimacy of the Women's League Cup quarter-final and semi-final draw, which was conducted by social media influencer GK Barry.

>In the same month Sky Sports scrapped its new female-focused TikTok channel, Halo, after it faced a backlash online, with its posts described as "patronising" and "sexist".

>Disney+ coverage continues on Wednesday with Chelsea hosting Austria Wien at 20:00 BST.

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