Disney+ says technical fault caused unscheduled ad break in Women's Champions League
September 23, 2026 16:00
Disney+ confirmed an unintended technical fault led to a three-minute advert break during Tuesday's Women's Champions League coverage, interrupting the second half of Arsenal v HB Køge when the score was 0-0. The broadcaster said it understood the frustration caused and was taking steps to prevent a recurrence.
MATCH OUTCOME
Arsenal won 1-0 in the fixture, with Mariona Caldentey scoring from a stoppage-time penalty.
COVERAGE AND TECHNICAL ISSUES
The evening's broadcast, part of Disney+'s studio show 'The Hangout', was affected by several problems. Reported issues included players waiting to be interviewed but unable to hear questions from the studio, audio synchronisation problems, camera shots partially blocked by cushions, and a rotating floor that malfunctioned. Italian reporter Roberto Perrone in Milan also encountered audio problems; when sound returned viewers were shown a non-football-themed quiz.
The studio presentation featured host Alex Scott alongside Lianne Sanderson, content creators Alex Bailess and Tyra Mills, and a dog called Barley Boy, who was noted in coverage as having 137,000 Instagram followers. Other on-screen elements mentioned during the broadcast included a vegetable platter and a rotating floor.
BROADCAST CONTEXT
Matches are produced by ESPN. The article notes Disney+'s coverage is in its second season; an image caption accompanying the report also stated Disney+ won the broadcast rights for the Women's Champions League from the 2025-26 season for five years.
REACTIONS
Fans and commentators criticised the presentation as gimmicky and undermining the competition. One viewer wrote on X about the balance between analysis and content creation; another said: "We want women's football to be taken seriously, yet coverage like this undermines that." Journalist Megan Feringa 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?" Broadcaster Flo Lloyd-Hughes wrote: "Why does women's football coverage always have to be so gimmicky? It's the Champions League, not Blue Peter."
PREVIOUS CONCERNS
The report also references earlier concerns raised last November about the professionalism and legitimacy of a Women's League Cup draw conducted by social media influencer GK Barry.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Disney+ said it was making steps to ensure the interruption did not happen again.