Colts Remove Controversial Schedule-Release Video Citing Microsoft Rights Violation

The Indianapolis Colts faced criticism on Wednesday evening after sharing, then quickly deleting, a social media video designed to announce the team's 2025 game schedule in a creative fashion. The video, animated in the distinctive block style of the popular video game Minecraft, drew immediate backlash due to its depiction of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

In the segment previewing the Colts’ opening week matchup against the Dolphins, Tyreek Hill was represented as a dolphin character. The animation showed him being approached by a Coast Guard boat, complete with a police siren and an officer staring menacingly at him. This imagery referenced Hill’s highly publicized arrest in September, an incident that included body camera footage of the athlete being restrained and handcuffed by law enforcement.

The controversy escalated quickly:

• The video was deleted within hours of its publication.
• The Colts released a statement explaining their decision, citing both the insensitive depiction of Hill and a violation of their licensing agreement with Microsoft as reasons for removal.

“We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek,” the Colts said in a statement Thursday.

For his part, Tyreek Hill responded to the incident on X (formerly Twitter), commenting that the Colts should have simply left the original video up, suggesting he was unbothered by the portrayal.

Other NFL teams also capitalized on Minecraft’s popularity for their schedule announcements. The Los Angeles Chargers, for instance, formatted their own release in Minecraft fashion but included a disclaimer at the outset and used actual gameplay footage rather than custom animation.

The NFL's business arrangement with Microsoft dates back to 2013, when the league struck a five-year, $400 million deal with the tech giant. That partnership, renewed in 2020, enables teams and staff to use Microsoft Teams for collaboration and communications, and provides players and coaches with Surface tablets on the sidelines.

This incident underscores the challenges teams face as they seek to engage fans in creative ways while remaining mindful of sensitive topics and corporate partnerships. The Colts’ swift response indicates they aim to learn from the misstep and move forward as the season approaches.