Fans outside the Emirates interrupted an interview being conducted by host Jake Humphrey by chanting the word “fucking” following the team’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Liverpool on February 16th.
Although the presenter immediately apologised for the language, media regulator Ofcom says BT Sport put itself in a position where such an incident might occur.
The regulator said: “We considered that choosing to broadcast live an extended discussion from a platform adjacent to a crowd of football fans following the match would have presented significant challenges to the Licensee in ensuring it complied with the Code.
“This is because of the strong likelihood that offensive language, in the form of chants, for example, might be used by groups of fans.”
In its defence, BT told Ofcom that it carried out “a full risk assessment” on a game by game basis as part of drawing up broadcast plans for matches.
However managers have decided to drop the stadium based post-match interviews and analysis to minimise any potential for further incidents.
Pre-game interviews will continue to be conducted outside the grounds because BT says fan emotions are less high before games and so poor language is less likely.
