• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

ESPN To Show Protesting Players And Singing of Black National Anthem

  • ‘We will cover social justice movements, actions, as they happen,’ says ESPN EVP Stephanie Druley.
  • After Week 1, ‘Monday Night Football’ will take a week-to-week approach to covering the anthem.
Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY

ESPN will open its “Monday Night Football” season by televising NFL player protests for social justice and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Stephanie Druley, executive vice president of event and studio production, said ESPN plans to cover any players protesting during the U.S. national anthem, as well as the performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, during the network’s NFL Week 1 doubleheader Sept. 14.  

The network will cover pregame player protests and the singing of the Black national anthem live before the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants game at 7 p.m. ET, Druley said. Time permitting, it will take the same approach before the Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos game, which is scheduled for a 10:15 p.m ET kickoff.

ESPN’s new “Monday Night Football” commentator team of Louis Riddick, Brian Griese, Steve Levy, Lisa Salters, and John Parry will call Titans-Broncos. The network’s top college football duo of Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler will call the earlier Steelers-Giants telecast.

“Our policy is to cover the anthem when it’s newsworthy. That’s not going to change,” Druley told reporters during a media call. “We are going to continue as we’ve done with the NBA and the WNBA. We will cover social justice movements, actions, as they happen. We’re not going to shy away from that.”

NFL TV partners ESPN, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports usually only show the American flag color guard and singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before special NFL games, such as opening night or Super Bowl. Networks are typically in a commercial break during pregame ceremonies for regular season games.

Following the example set by Colin Kaepernick when he began protesting police violence during the national anthem in 2016, players across sports have similarly reacted to a summer filled with calls for racial and social justice.

ESPN would be remiss not to cover newsworthy protests when they directly interact with sports, according to Druley. After the Week 1 doubleheader, ESPN will decide coverage plans on a week-to-week basis.

“Look, we’re going to keep our main rule, which is when it intersects with sports, we’re going to cover it, and look, we don’t see the social justice movement as being political. It’s social justice,” said Druley. She can’t say if they’ll show the anthem for half the season or just two of 10 games. “I don’t know. We will make a judgment call every week. But I can tell you that Week 1, that first game, you will see the anthem — and you will see ‘Lift Every Voice.’”

Louis Angelo Riddick

NFL TV Preview: ESPN Debuts New ‘Monday Night Football’ Crew

Networks collectively pay over $5 billion a year for rights to televise…
September 8, 2020

CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus sounded a similar note on Sept. 8 while describing his network’s approach to NFL players kneeling or otherwise protesting for social justice on-field during Week 1. CBS will be cognizant of the COVID-19 pandemic and political and social upheaval of recent months.

“We don’t forget the fact that the country is going through a lot of political situations with Black Lives Matter, social justice and social injustice. We’re not going to ignore that. Obviously, we’re going to address it in our pregame show, with interviews and features,” McManus said. “But the coverage of the game, once we get to our game coverage, will obviously be focusing on presenting the action on the field. But we don’t forget and we don’t ignore those other two elements.”

CBS game announcers, for example, will be free to discuss a player protesting during the national anthem or wearing the name of a victim of police brutality and racism on their uniform or cleats. But they won’t “interject their opinion or their philosophy,” McManus said. Once Week 1 is over, CBS will reassess its coverage.

“We need to thread the needle just the right way. Because there are people who are tuning in just to hear about football. So we need to make sure that we don’t overdo the emphasis on what’s going on in our country,” McManus said. “But we’re not going to ignore it. Our announcers on-site at the games are not going to condone and they’re not going to condemn what’s going on. They’re going to report it — and they’re going to move on.”

CBS’ No. 1 announce team of Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson will call the Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots on Sept. 13. New No. 2 game analyst Charles Davis will team with Ian Eagle and Evan Washburn to call the Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens.

NFL on NBC Preview: ‘Collinsworth Slide’ Out; Artificial Crowd Noise In

NFL on NBC Preview: The ‘Collinsworth Slide’ will be out and social…
September 3, 2020

The normally crowded NFL sidelines will look very different to millions of TV viewers this season. The league is strictly limiting the number of people with field access to avoid infecting coaches and players. 

TV sideline reporters like ESPN’s Salters and CBS’ Wolfson will have to do their jobs from the stands. There will not be military/police honor guards on the field or on-field performances of the national anthem. Ditto for cheerleaders, marching bands and team mascots.

The NFL’s 1,700 players, meanwhile, will be encouraged to salute victims of police brutality by placing decals with their names on their helmets. The league will also stencil social justice statements such as “End Racism” and “It Takes All Of Us” in end zones this season. The league will play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before each game during opening weekend.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Fox Promotes Allison Williams to Laura Okmin’s Former NFL Sideline Role

Williams left ESPN in 2021 after declining to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Sinner Outduels Alcaraz for First Wimbledon Title and $4M Payday

The best two players in men’s tennis battled once again.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.

Featured Today

Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
NBC Sports
exclusive

NBC Hiring Ex-Hawks Exec Grant Liffmann As NBA Front Office Insider

Liffmann spent the last three years with Atlanta after covering the Warriors.
Jul 10, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Iga Swiatek of Poland at her on court interview after winning her match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on day 11 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
July 10, 2025

Wimbledon Set to Deliver Strong Finals Matchup for ESPN

Novak Djokovic is still in the hunt for his 25th Grand Slam.
F1
July 11, 2025

F1 ‘Poised’ to Choose Apple Money Over ESPN Reach

Formula One looks to be changing lanes.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Paige Bueckers
exclusive
July 8, 2025

Women’s March Madness Expansion Wouldn’t Yield More ESPN Money

ESPN is not required to pay extra if women’s March Madness expands.
Feb 7, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (5) reacts after his basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
July 8, 2025

After Decade Apart, ESPN and Big East Rekindle Media Rights Relationship

After a decade-plus apart, the network will stream hundreds of conference events.
Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Mexico forward Marcel Ruiz (14) heads the ball in front of United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson (11) in the second half during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium.
July 7, 2025

USMNT Struggles Still Produce Big Gold Cup Ratings for Fox

The U.S. team’s recent issues culminated in a loss to Mexico.
July 2, 2025

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.