The UEFA Women’s Champions League returned this week with a new look on Disney+, but the broadcaster's opening-night coverage attracted plenty of criticism.
Featuring a dog, a revolving floor and technical issues including an advert break during the second half, the new studio show did not impress fans.
Former England international Lianne Sanderson, who featured as a pundit on the new show 'The Hangout', has now hit back at what she described as “toxicity” within the women’s football
'Pile on is completely unacceptable'
Disney+ launched 'The Hangout' this season as a new live studio show designed to accompany its coverage of the UWCL, with the opening-night programme featuring Sanderson alongside presenter Alex Scott and content creators Alex Bailess and Tyra Mills.
The show attracted criticism online, with viewers questioning everything from the rotating studio floor and the appearance of a dog to technical difficulties during the broadcast.
Absolutely have an opinion, ads being in the middle of a game isn’t ok was a genuine error. The pile on from some is completely unacceptable, needs to be called out! Some of you need to have a word with yourself.What solution are you providing? And what are you gaining from such…September 23, 2026
There was also an ad break during the second half of Arsenal's 1-0 victory over HB Koge, meaning viewers missed several minutes of the match, albeit an uneventful occasion.
Sanderson acknowledged the advertising mistake while defending the wider coverage.
“Absolutely have an opinion, ads being in the middle of a game isn’t ok was a genuine error,” she wrote on X.
“The pile on from some is completely unacceptable, needs to be called out! Some of you need to have a word with yourself.
“What solution are you providing? And what are you gaining from such toxicity?”
Sanderson added that would address the issue of toxicity within women’s football on her talkSPORT2 show on Monday.
"Some of you pretend you want other women to win at the same time dragging others down," she added in a different post.
Alex Scott posted on her Instagram story on Wednesday: " The self talk is real right now! Keep showing up, remain professional and keep trying to fight the good fights - remember the why!"
The second night of coverage on Wednesday saw some changes to the format, with the dog nowhere to be seen.
Disney+ is broadcasting the Women's Champions League for a second season, with matches produced by ESPN. 'The Hangout' is scheduled to run throughout matchdays, with Alex Scott and Shebahn Aherne rotating presenting duties.
