Sky Sport Apologises After Betting Ad Cuts Off Jai Arrow's 100th-Game Walkout

^{Jai Arrow was given a special one-off NRL rule change to reach his 100th game for the South Sydney Rabbitohs while battling motor neurone disease. (Photo: RNZ)}

Sky Sport New Zealand has apologised after a scheduling error meant a gambling advertisement, rather than live coverage, aired during South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Jai Arrow's emotional walkout for his 100th and final NRL appearance.

Arrow, 31, retired from rugby league earlier this year, two games short of the milestone, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The NRL approved a one-off rule change allowing him to return to the Rabbitohs' team list and interchange bench so he could reach his 100th game.

Broadcast Cut to a Betcha Ad Mid-Walkout

New Zealand viewers watching the Friday night match on Sky Sport missed most of the walkout. Instead of the live pitch-side moment, screens switched to an advertisement for bookmaker Betcha discussing the match's betting odds, returning to the coverage only as the kick-off whistle sounded.

Sky Sport content head Gary Burchett told Newstalk ZB the cut was not an automated fault but a decision made by the live broadcast crew, who were trying to fit the advert in after another NRL match feed had run late. 'We got this badly wrong last night and we're deeply sorry,' he said, adding that customer feedback had been 'colourful and upset, and at points downright disgusted.'

'We knew the significance of Jai's walkout, and we knew what that moment was to Jai and his family and his teammates and fans at the NRL... we should have shown that moment in full, live. That's the obligation that we have to our customers and to fans of rugby league,' Burchett said.

Burchett said Sky Sport would review the decision and its editorial process for future broadcasts. He added that he was 'also very conscious' of viewers affected by motor neurone disease, given how closely Arrow's story resonates with them.

On-Air Apology Before Warriors Match

Sky Sport presenter Laura McGoldrick issued a further apology on-air before the Warriors' match in Auckland on Saturday night, telling viewers: 'We accept here at Sky Sport that it simply was not good enough... we totally put our hand up and apologise to Jai Arrow, to his family, to our fabulous NRL community that we love so much, and of course the MND community.'

Sky separately said in a statement that the ad break was the result of a scheduling error, adding: 'To ensure fans can enjoy the moment as it happened, we have shared the full celebration across our social media channels and will also make it available to watch on demand.'

Fans criticised the broadcaster on social media, with some describing the timing as 'disrespectful' and others saying they would cancel their Sky subscriptions. Betcha has not issued a public comment on the incident.

Gambling Ads Remain Common on NZ Sports Broadcasts

Betting advertising is a routine feature of live sport broadcasts in New Zealand, where online casino operators and sportsbooks compete for airtime around major fixtures. The country's Department of Internal Affairs began a consultation on regulating online casino gambling in July, part of a wider push to bring offshore-facing gambling products under clearer domestic rules.

Sky Sport's apology follows growing scrutiny of how and when gambling advertising is scheduled around sport, particularly when it risks overshadowing a significant on-field moment. Players who bank with providers such as PayPal for online transactions have separately flagged concerns about the volume of betting promotions during live coverage in New Zealand.

Arrow's full walkout has since been made available on Sky Sport's on-demand service and shared across the broadcaster's social channels, giving fans the chance to see the moment in full.