NFL Teams See Drop in Facebook Followings After National Anthem Protests

Of the NFL’s 32 teams, 28 saw a marked drop in Facebook followings after this weekend’s protests where many players refused to stand for the national anthem.

The Advocate reports that of the NFL’s 32 teams, 28 teams have noticed a visible drop in their Facebook followings shortly after the recent protests emulating former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. According to data recorded by Crowdtangle, a digital tool that tracks social media trends and analytics, the NFL teams saw a combined drop in Facebook likes of 88,610.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, and Tennessee Titans — the three teams that refused to even take the field during the anthem — saw some of the biggest drops in Facebook followings. Just two days after the protests, the Steelers lost a total of 17,400 followers, while the Seahawks lost 10,200. The Titans lost approximately 4,100 followers.

In comparison, four teams in the NFL — none of which had a single player kneel during the national anthem — actually saw an increase in their follower count. The Dallas Cowboys, who kneeled together before the game but not during the anthem, saw their total climb by 6,200.