Benzinga | Mar 18, 2021 05:30PM EDT

NAACP Urged NFL To Drop Relations With Fox, Claiming Network Sows 'Racial Division'

The NAACP has called on the National Football League to cease its media relationship with Fox Corp's (NASDAQ:FOX)(NASDAQ:FOXA) Fox Broadcasting Company, accusing the network of being a platform for racism and deliberate misinformation.

What Happened: In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson praised the league's "indications of support for social justice" but attacked Fox News as a "uniquely destructive force" that seeks to "inflame racial division and propagate an unstable political climate," citing its coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and former President Trump's efforts to cast doubts on the results of the 2020 election.

See Also: NFL Signs TV Deals Worth A Massive $110B: Amazon, ESPN/ABC Among The Big Winners

Why It's Important: "The NFL, a league where nearly 70 percent of the players are Black, should not be complicit in helping to increase the profits of Fox News, a leading voice in condemning those same players for peaceful demonstrations against systemic racism," Johnson said.

Johnson's letter was dated March 9 but was only made public Thursday after being obtained and published by USA Today. However, the letter was made public after the NFL renegotiated its television broadcasts with Fox for the 2023 season.

Members of the San Francisco 49ers kneel during the National Anthem. Photo by Keith Allison / Wikimedia Commons.