Several NFL sponsors also are asking questions. Multiple media buyers tell THR that clients have requested their ads not appear during games featuring the Ravens or Minnesota Vikings, the team of suspended running back Adrian Peterson (due in a Texas court Oct. 8 on a child abuse charge for whipping his 4-year-old son). CBS, which kicked off its $275 million Thursday Night Football package Sept. 11 with strong ratings for a Ravens game, had one sponsor ask to be removed from the broadcast and another request its ads shift, likely away from a discussion of the violence issue during CBS Sports' pregame report. CBS declined to identify the sponsors.
So far, no advertiser has defected entirely from football. "The NFL is too important to most advertisers to pull out," says one buyer. Still, the erosion of confidence is palpable, with major sponsors including Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo and McDonald's releasing strong rebukes. Radisson Hotels has suspended its Vikings sponsorship. And Procter & Gamble pulled out of an October breast cancer initiative that would have had players wearing pink mouth guards. "That implied threat of financial repercussions is extraordinary," says [ESPN's Hannah] Storm.
THR...NFL's Sponsors Quietly Shift Ads Amid Women Woes
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