NZ Breakers have reportedly apologised to Sky Sport - their principal sponsor - for providing pornographic footage during production of a documentary on the embattled professional basketball team.
The four-time Australian NBL champions are into their second season based across the Tasman and are now unlikely to return home this season, due to ongoing COVID-19 border restrictions.
Riddled with coronavirus cases, they have slipped to a 1-6 start to their campaign, recording their first win against Brisbane Bullets on Sunday.
But off the court, NZME reports the franchise has had to issue an apology to their naming-rights sponsor, after mistakenly providing "inappropriate" material to the broadcaster, while transferring files for the five-part Unbreakable: 154 days in Australia series, based on their ill-fated 2021 season.
"Receiving that sort of content at work is clearly inappropriate and should not have happened, and we have provided our team member with support," says a Sky spokesperson. "They did not wish to take the matter further."
Breakers chief operating office Lisa Edser told NZME an independent contractor had mistakenly provided a personal hard drive with private content.
"We have apologised unreservedly to Sky, and offered our support to them and their employees, and are investigating the matter further with the individual directly," says Edser.
