Disney+ has faced criticism from viewers after an advert break cut into the second half of its live coverage of Arsenal’s opening Women’s Champions League fixture on Tuesday. About 15 minutes remained when the feed was interrupted, leaving fans unable to see roughly three minutes of the action during Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over the Danish side HB Køge.
The experience varied by viewer: some saw adverts, while others were shown the words “commercial break in progress” on an orange backdrop. When match coverage resumed, the commentary team continued without commenting on the disruption and appeared unaware that it had happened. No goals were missed, and Arsenal scored the winner through Mariona Caldentey’s 93rd-minute penalty.
Disney+ has been approached for comment. The platform’s Women’s Champions League coverage is produced by ESPN. Many fans vented their frustration on social media during and after the advert break, and some received replies from the Disney+ Help account on X. Replying to one fan, Emelia, the account said: “Sorry for any frustration, Emelia! Our Disney+ Standard and Disney+ Premium plans are without commercial interruption, but these plans may include limited promotional content including clips and trailers, as well as branded content or programme sponsor messaging. Live and special events may also have ads.”
However, the interruption is understood to have been unintended and caused by a technical issue, which Disney+ is understood to be taking steps to address.
In 2025, Disney+ secured a five-year deal to broadcast the competition exclusively across Europe, including to viewers in the United Kingdom, replacing the previous rights holders, Dazn. The streaming platform’s coverage has also drawn criticism from some fans for the unusually quirky nature of its analysis show, which included a dog in the studio and a quiz about Italy featuring a question about pasta. A new show called The Hangout, which aired live from 5pm until 10.30pm BST to cover the 5.45pm and 8pm kick-offs, also included guests enjoying a vegetable platter while discussing the games.
Broadcaster Flo Lloyd-Hughes wrote on X: “Disney’s new UWCL coverage is the closest we’ve seen to CBBC football (derogatory). I wouldn’t be surprised if we see someone gunged for making a wrong prediction or perhaps Raven will make a cameo. Keep stopping to remind myself this isn’t a dream.”
It is understood Disney intends to listen to audience feedback regarding The Hangout as the season progresses.