This fall’s broadcasts of Monday Night Football will be a little less star-spangled: ESPN will not air the national anthem during NFL games.
Season 49 of Monday Night Football kicks off Sept. 10.
The announcement comes amid ongoing controversy regarding NFL players’ decision to protest the national anthem and, by extension, continued systemic racism against people of color in the United States.
Monday Night Football has waffled on this topic before: On Oct. 2, 2017, ESPN said the anthem would not be aired during that evening’s game, only to reverse the decision hours later and air the song during the broadcast instead.