Reports from Sports Illustrated indicate that several NFL owners are anxious about Senator Bernie Sanders leading the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Sanders has made clear his intentions to implement taxes on the wealthiest Americans and address income inequality if he becomes president.
“…some in the league worry, in the short term, about what Bernie Sanders’s winning the Democratic nomination might do to the stock market and how that would affect the environment to do business. If the NFL is bound for a lockout in 2021, will the money be the same? Then, there’s the fact that the NFL itself is bracing for the election to do damage to its ratings, as was the case in 2016.”
The current labor agreement of the NFL expires after the 2020 season, with the ongoing deal between the NFL and ESPN for “Monday Night Football” scheduled to end after 2021.
The NFL is anticipating a decline in television ratings during the 2020 election season, similar to the drop observed in 2016 and the subsequent year.
In addition, NFL owners are advocating for an extended regular season and postseason, proposing that teams play 17 games instead of the traditional 16 to which fans are accustomed.
A decision is expected to be made by players on the proposed terms this week.
