New Orleans Saints players kneel down before the U.S. anthem was played for an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday Oct. 1, 2017.
The NFL is facing backlash over players' protests during the national anthem from President Donald Trump, right-wing fans - and now, at least some of the league's sponsors.
Last week, Papa John's CEO and founder John Schnatter said that the chain was disappointed in NFL leadership's response to players' protests. According to Schnatter, declining ratings due to the protests had hurt Papa John's sales and caused the chain to reevaluate its sponsorship.
Papa John's is likely not alone in pressuring the NFL on the protests.
In late October, NFL spokesperson Joe Lockhart told Sports Business Journal that Papa John's was just one of the top sponsors that had raised concerns regarding the protests. And, according to Linda Yaccarino, the chairman of
As backlash against Papa John's built, many wanted to know exactly which sponsors are pressuring the NFL and TV networks in how protests are handled.
"People who believe in justice and dignity want to know which brands are threatening such action," director Ava DuVernay tweeted on Saturday, with the hashtag "#namenames."
Business Insider reached out to 18 NFL sponsors about whether protests are impacting sales and if they are applying pressure to the league. Here are their responses.
If you have any information on sponsors' efforts to influence the NFL and networks' treatment of players' protests, email retail@businessinsider.com.