‘Standard Procedure’: Fox Sports Won’t Air National Anthem

Members of the Dallas Cowboys take a knee before the start of the national anthem at an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sept. 25, 2017. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Fox Sports won’t be showing the national anthem at all before games.

Last week, the network aired the national anthem before games as more than 200 players engaged in some form of protest during the anthem, which follows comments made by President Donald Trump calling for players to be fired for what he says is disrespectful to the country.

“As we have in previous broadcasts of NFL games from London, Fox will show the National Anthem as well as God Save the Queen live. As is standard procedure, regionalized coverage of NFL game airing on FOX this Sunday will not show the National Anthem live; however, our cameras are always rolling and we will document the response of players and coaches on the field,” Fox said in a statement to Sports Illustrated.

Fox Sports President Eric Shanks explained that it’s actually “standard procedure” not to show the anthem before games.

It’s because of “the commercial format” and the “timing of the anthem to get to the kickoff,” Shanks told Newsday on Tuesday, Sept 26.

“So I think we’re going to pay attention to events. Who knows what’s going to happen? A lot of time is happening between now and then. But I think the plan would be to get back to a normal schedule. I think that’s where we sit today on a Tuesday . . . It seems like there’s more than 24 hours in a day now, doesn’t there?” he said.