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Sky Sports has shut down its new TikTok account aimed at female sports fans only three days after launch, following swift and widespread criticism that the content was "patronizing," "condescending," and "sexist."

The account, called "Halo," had been introduced as a fresh space for young women to enjoy sports through a different lens.

But instead of feeling welcomed, many viewers said the tone made them feel talked down to.

In a statement posted over the weekend, Sky admitted the project had missed the mark. "We've listened. We didn't get it right," the company said.

"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."

Halo launched with bright pastel branding and the tagline "Sky Sports' lil sis," a choice that immediately rubbed many fans the wrong way, CNN reported.

The account promised not to be a women's sports page, but rather to show "sports content through a female lens."

But once people saw the videos, frustration only grew. Reposted clips showed pink sparkles, girly emojis, and captions referencing "matcha," "hot girl walks," and other trends that many viewers felt reduced women to stereotypes.

TikTok Memes Mock Sky Sports Halo's Sparkly Aesthetic

One viral example was a sped-up highlight of Manchester City's Erling Haaland scoring a goal, paired with the caption: "How the matcha + hot girl walk combo hits."

Another montage included Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc talking about his engagement. Users across TikTok, Reddit, and X said these posts were more infantilizing than empowering.

The aesthetic also made it easy for others to create parody videos, and soon TikTok was flooded with meme versions of Halo's style.

One user joked, "thank you sky sports halo, I've finally understood why I couldn't understand football before," laying sparkly pink text over clips of the Lionesses.

Women's sports fans voiced anger that the account seemed to undo years of work toward equality.

Emily Trees, 23, told BBC Newsbeat she found the "little sister" branding "really damaging," saying women don't need to be an add-on to men's sports.

GirlsontheBall, a well-known women's football platform, added that they couldn't "imagine this is what women sports fans want."

Other fans argued that women don't need a separate channel at all—just fair coverage on existing platforms. "I don't need a pink, glittery sidepiece," said sports fan Millie Jones, 27.

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