TV company apologises for jolting Arrow blunder
A New Zealand pay-TV company has apologised after cutting to a gambling advertisement as Jai Arrow walked out for his 100th game as a Rabbitoh on Friday night.
Sky Sport NZ issued a contrite statement after a wave of backlash from viewers for its jolting blunder ahead of the Rabbitohs′ clash with the Roosters at Allianz Stadium.
Jai Arrow leads South Sydney out. Getty Images
Arrow, who in May was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), was on the field when the game started, then walked to the bench when the referee blew his whistle again two seconds into the match.
He had led South Sydney out through a long guard of honour to the tune of the iconic anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
“We apologise to fans who missed part of Jai Arrow’s pre-match celebration during our coverage and share their disappointment,” Sky Sport NZ said in a statement sent to Kiwi publication Stuff.
“The ad break that played over the celebration was the result of a scheduling error and was not deliberate.
“We know how important this moment was to fans and we regret that the full celebration wasn’t shown live.”
Sky Sport NZ also posted a full replay of the tribute to social media.
“We know we missed a big moment, and we’re really sorry you didn’t get to see it live,” the pay-TV service said.
“Here’s Jai Arrow’s celebration in full.”
