Are Americans Tuning Out the NFL Over Protests?

Dr. Rich Swier

Rasmussen Reports  "A sizable number of Americans say they may give the National Football League a pass this year, thanks to the player protests over racial issues. 

"A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that nearly one-third (32%) of American Adults say they are less likely to watch an NFL game because of the growing number of Black Lives Matter protests by players on the field. Only 13% say they are more likely to watch a game because of the protests. Just over half (52%) say the protests have no impact on their viewing decisions. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

"But as with most questions involving race, blacks and whites have sharply different reactions. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of blacks say they are more likely to tune into an NFL game because of the protests, compared to eight percent (8%) of whites and 16% of other minority Americans. Whites are twice as likely as blacks – 36% to 18% - to say they are less likely to watch this year, and 29% of other minorities agree." . . .