"We generally have not broadcasted the anthem and I don't think that will change this year," network president Jimmy Pitaro told Axios. "Our plan going into this year is to not broadcast the anthem."
1/2 ESPN will not be broadcasting the National Anthem on Monday nights this year.
— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) August 17, 2018
"We generally have not broadcasted the anthem and I don't think that will change this year. Our plan going into this year is to not broadcast the anthem ...
2/2 " ... again that could change. It's unpredictable what could happen in the world but as of now, we're not. We have communicated that back to the NF. They have not asked but as courtesy and good partners we have let them know what our plans are." - ESPN Pres. Jimmy Pitaro
— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) August 17, 2018
The network aired the national anthem three times last season, a moment of silence after the Houston hurricane and the Las Vegas shooting as well as at the Dallas vs. Arizona game, Axios reported.
Pitaro: "ESPN is NOT a political organization. It's not our job to politics, purely, but we'll cover the intersection of sports & politics. "When something happens, when Eagles disinvited from White House, when someone takes a knee, if we think newsworthy were going to cover it."
— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) August 17, 2018
The national anthem has intertwined sports with politics after Colin Kaepernick started kneeling two years ago to protest racial inequalities in the United States during performances of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Numerous other athletes in the NFL as well as other sports have also taken up the practice since then. Creating further political hay of the issue, President Donald Trump has tweeted multiple times about it.
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