DirecTV Reportedly Offering Refunds to NFL Fans Upset with Protests

DirecTV is making it easier for fans to tune out the NFL in wake of the protest movement that has grown throughout the league.

According to ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, DirecTV will offer refunds to any consumer who wishes to cancel their NFL Sunday Ticket package, which costs $281.94 for the basic offering. Rovell wrote fans couldn't receive refunds in the past if they desired to cancel Sunday Ticket but that AT&T "decided to change the policy due to the sensitivity of the issue."

The national anthem protests have been a hot-button issue for the NFL since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the movement last year. Kaepernick wanted to raise awareness of police brutality and racial injustice.

Others followed in his footsteps, either by remaining seated, taking a knee or raising a fist during the national anthem.

J.D. Power released a survey in July about the viewing habits of sports fans in the last year. Twelve percent of the respondents said they had watched fewer NFL games than they did the previous year, and of that group, 26 percent said the national anthem protests were the reason for the decline.

President Donald Trump brought more attention to the issue when he called any player who refused to stand for the anthem a "son of a b---h." He also tweeted players who don't stand should be fired:

Television ratings were down for the NFL through the first two weeks, but an NFL spokesman told Rovell that ratings in Week 3 were higher than their 2016 equivalent, which was helped by showcasing the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.