DirecTV is offering an unprecedented refund for the large chunk of Americans disgruntled by NFL players' mass kneeling protests during the national anthem on Sunday.
Subscribers who wish to cancel their NFL Sunday Ticket package may do so if they cite the players' protest as the reason, DirecTV customer service representatives told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
The $280 package typically cannot be canceled once the season is underway, ESPN reported.
Football players took the move Sunday after President Donald Trump challenged NFL owners to fire players who don't stand during the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner" before games at a Friday night speech in Alabama.
Fans booed players in some stadiums, and people on both sides of the controversy took to social media in support of either Trump or the players' right to protest.
A Reuters poll found a majority of Americans disagree with Trump, citing 57 percent of adults who do not think the NFL should fire players who kneel, noting a sizable split down party lines. The libertarian think tank Cato Institute said 61 percent of adults oppose firing the players.
Examine the full Reuters poll results here.
On the other hand, nearly two-thirds of Americans believe NFL players should stand and be respectful during the anthem, according to the right-leaning Remington Research Group. Although the polls seem to conflict, respondents could believe players should be respectful but also oppose firing them solely based on their protest.
An NFL spokesperson told ESPN that ratings were up 3 percent this week over last year's performance, in part due to Monday's Dallas Cowboys' game.
