Arsenal's biggest shareholder has ordered all big game hunting content be removed from a TV service he owns following heavy criticism.

Stan Kroenke came under attack from animal welfare groups as well as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - an Arsenal fan - over the My Outdoor TV app.

The subscription streaming channel, which shows hunting, shooting and fishing, has been available in the US since 2016, but is now available in the UK.

It is run by Outdoor Sportsman Group (OSG), part of the billionaire's company Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, and provides programmes for a subscription fee of $9.99 (£7.50) a month.

Shows include Bone Collector, Pigman: The Series, Cast & Blast, Miss Wildgame, and Hollywood Weapons.


OSG's president and chief executive, Jim Liberatore, has said content that included big game hunting was being removed on Mr Kroenke's orders.

He said: "In the past few days, there has been significant public attention to a small portion of programming on our MyOutdoorTV app that contains content associated with hunting certain big game animals.

"Stan Kroenke has directed us to remove all content related to those animals in light of the public interest."

Image: Arsenal fan Jeremy Corbyn criticised club shareholder Stan Kroenke

Mr Liberatore sought to distance the Premiership club from the row, saying that as a separate company "we deserve no credit when an Arsenal striker scores a goal... Arsenal deserves no criticism when we offer a programme with which some disagree".

He added that while the channel's content decisions were made "independently of our parent company... in this one instance, Mr Kroenke directed us to make the changes".

Earlier this week, Mr Corbyn said: "I'm appalled at the glorification of killing wild and rare animals on this TV channel."

He said he was "disgusted that Stan Kroenke is involved in such a brutal, unethical and unnecessary activity", adding: "This is not sport... in my mind 'blood sport' is a contradiction."

Pressure group the League Against Cruel Sports, which had called the channel "sick", has welcomed the U-turn.

Chief operating officer Philippa King said: "Launching a TV channel which glorifies bloodsports was never going to be a good idea in a nation of animal lovers."

Mr Kroenke, 70, owns 67% of Arsenal, as well as others teams including NBA side Denver Nuggets, ice hockey team Colorado Avalanche and NFL franchise Los Angeles Rams.