Disney+ admits ad break during Arsenal Champions League game was unscheduled

Disney+ has confirmed that a three-minute advert break that interrupted the live coverage of the Women's Champions League match between Arsenal and HB Koge was an unintended technical fault. The interruption occurred during the second half of Tuesday's game, with the score tied at 0:0.

The broadcast was part of the launch of "The Hangout," a new studio show intended to provide a fresh match-day experience. However, the debut was plagued by various technical issues, including audio synchronisation problems, cameras blocked by studio cushions, and a malfunctioning rotating floor.

Beyond technical difficulties, the show's content drew significant criticism from fans and pundits. The inclusion of a dog, a vegetable platter, and other non-football elements led to accusations that the coverage was overly "gimmicky" and undermined the seriousness of the women's game.

We are aware that our customers experienced an unintended interruption during the second half of the match on Tuesday evening. 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. Disney+

Critics argued that the sport deserves the same professional focus and analytical respect as men's football. On the pitch, Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Mariona Caldentey, though the post-match discourse remained heavily focused on the quality of the broadcast production.