Disney+ cuts to adverts mid-match during Arsenal's Women's Champions League win over HB Koge

Disney+ faced a wave of criticism after a technical fault triggered an unplanned advert break during live coverage of Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League group-stage win over Danish club HB Koge on Tuesday, cutting viewers off from around three minutes of action.

The interruption struck with approximately 15 minutes remaining in the second half. Some viewers were served a reel of advertisements, while others saw a static message reading “commercial break in progress”. Commentary continued throughout, with the broadcast team apparently unaware that footage had disappeared from screens. Coverage resumed without acknowledgement of the gap.

Arsenal ultimately won the match 1-0, with Mariona Caldentey converting a penalty in the 93rd minute. No goals or significant incidents occurred during the blackout period, though that did little to temper viewer frustration. The platform confirmed the break was the result of a technical issue rather than a deliberate scheduling decision. The platform’s new studio show, The Hangout, broadcast live from Amsterdam on the opening night of coverage and drew widespread mockery for featuring a dog on set, a rotating studio floor, a quiz about Italian pasta, and a string of technical problems. Critics argued the programme bore little resemblance to serious football analysis.