Major sponsors including Anheuser-Busch are adding to the chorus of disapproval over the NFL's recent scandals, but the companies are stopping short of pulling advertising.
Anheuser-Busch said Tuesday that it has spoken with the NFL about concerns related to recent incidents that are sparking outcry from fans, including an investigation into how long the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell knew about a video that shows former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice beating his then-fiancee, as well as the Minnesota Vikings' decision to let Adrian Peterson play while he faces an abuse charge for spanking his 4-year-old son with a switch.
McDonald's, Visa and Campbell Soup Co. say they have also voiced similar concerns to the league.
The statements come after Radisson hotels said Monday that it was pulling its sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings. No other brands have pulled sponsorships from teams or the NFL, but the statements from sponsors are becoming increasingly strongly worded.
Only last week, several big sponsors like GM and FedEx said they were monitoring the situation or watching it closely. Others like Anheuser-Busch and Procter & Gamble stayed silent.
This week, sponsors are making it clear they have made the NFL aware of their concerns. Anheuser-Busch used the harshest language, saying it was "disappointed and increasingly concerned."
The NFL responded to the sponsors' statements late Tuesday with a short statement of its own.
"We understand," the league's statement read. "We are taking action and there will be much more to come."
Much is at stake as the NFL and various team executives navigate scandal. The money companies pay each year to be official sponsors -- not including advertising and promotions -- is worth about $1.07 billion for the league and all of its teams, according to sponsorship consultancy IEG.
The NFL is a coveted partner for brands since an average of 17.4 million people tune in during a regular-season NFL game, about 65 percent men and 35 percent women, according to Nielsen.
"It takes something pretty dramatic before those league sponsors who have invested in some cases hundreds of millions in their relationship with NFL seek to end their partnership or do something like that," said Jim Andrews, senior vice president of content strategy at IEG. "They follow the fans. They will be constantly monitoring and testing the waters to see what the fan reaction to this is."
For Anheuser-Busch, those sponsorship fees alone are worth an estimated $50 million.
"We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code," the company said in a statement. "We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league."
McDonald's issued a similar statement.
"We have questions surrounding these evolving situations and are closely monitoring as the appropriate parties investigate these matters," the statement read.
The company added that is had related its concerns to the league and that it expects to take "strong and necessary actions" to address the issues.
Campbell Soup said it also had spoken to the NFL about the Ray Rice video investigation.
"Upon completion of the investigation, we expect the NFL to take appropriate action," Campbell Soup Co. said in a statement.
Procter & Gamble also responded Tuesday to a fake Covergirl NFL ad that went viral on social media. The ad depicted a woman with a black eye.
The company posted a statement on its Covergirl Facebook page saying "domestic violence is completely unacceptable." The company added that it has "encouraged the NFL to take swift action on their path forward to address the issue of domestic violence."
Sports on 09/17/2014