At Television Critics Association Pasadena Press Tour, NBC Says it Plans To Air Player Protests During The Superbowl

NBC cameras will continue to roll and show any NFL players who elect to kneel in protest during “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl next month, a top executive announced Tuesday at the Television Critics Association Press Tour 2018 in Pasadena.

“When you are covering a live event, you are covering what’s happening,” NBC Sports Executive Producer Fred Gaudelli said. “If there are players who choose to kneel, they will be shown live.”

“The Star-Spangled Banner” will be performed by Pink and aired live at the opening of the Super Bowl in Minneapolis on February 4. The television coverage is expected to draw more than 110 million viewers.

As the fifth most-watched program in TV history, the Super Bowl provides potential protesters with an opportunity to make a statement in front of a massive audience.

In 2017, as many as 112.2 million people watched the Super Bowl.

Gaudelli said Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, NBC’s broadcast team, will probably identify each player who kneels, give a history behind the protests “and then get on with the game.”

Protests during The National Anthem exploded earlier this season after President Trump objected to kneeling during the song, calling on players to stand “out of respect for our country and respect for our flag.”

Last week, Trump tweeted an image appearing to show a grieving military family, in a message to NFL players who “still kneel.”

In the final week of the regular season in December, 19 out of 1,696 players kneeled or decided to stay in the locker room during the anthem.