NFL Viewer Ratings Plummet to 'Historic Low' As Anthem Protests Continue
President Donald Trump pointed out the massive drop in ratings on Twitter
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The viewer ratings for the National Football League has plummeted to an all-time low as protests during the U.S. national anthem, which saw player taking a knee, continued ahead of the first Sunday games of the season.
President Donald Trump pointed out the massive drop in ratings on Twitter:
“Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year comparison."
“Viewership declined 13%, the lowest in over a decade. If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse!”
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Trump cited the television ratings for the Sept. 6 NFL game.
The plummeting viewing figures come as share prices for Nike Inc also plummeted after the sportswear brand used Colin Kaepernick for a controversial new ad campaign.
The ad prompted a huge backlash from American citizens, with the hashtag #BoyCottNike quickly going viral across social media.
According to EpochTimes: Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson were the only players reported having knelt before the eight early games kicked off on Sept. 9.
Colin Kaepernick, the progenitor of the national anthem protests, used social media to thank the two players. Kaepernick, the face of a new marketing campaign by Nike, thanked the players for “their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed!”
Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year comparison. Viewership declined 13%, the lowest in over a decade. If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2018
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Trump has repeatedly slammed the protests as misdirected and unpatriotic, and has suggested that protesting players be fired.
The NFL owners in May approved a rule requiring players to either stand on the field for the anthem or remain in the locker room, but the policy is on hold, pending discussions with the NFL Players Association.
Kaepernick, who is no longer in the league, remains in the headlines.
He features in a new Nike commercial that was introduced during the first game of the NFL season between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 6. Trump was quick to slam the campaign.
“Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts,” the president wrote on Sept. 5. “I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!”
