As players, coaches and owners continue to protest during the the National Anthem, first started by Colin Kaepernick, favorable ratings for NFL drop below that of the MLB, according to a study from Winston Group

As players, coaches and owners continue to protest during the the National Anthem, the NFL struggles to gripe with a new poll that shows that they are no longer America's favorite sport.

Favorable ratings for the NFL have dropped from 57 percent to 44 percent from the end of August to the end of September.

Meanwhile, the unfavorable rating for the league is the highest among any big sport - 40 percent - according to the Winston Group survey.

In August and September, baseball had the highest favorable rating than any other sport at 63 and 65 percent.

While the sport was already seeing lower TV ratings accompanied vacant seating in stadiums, the accompaniment of the National Anthem protest with outlandish criticism from Trump has caused core fans, men aged 34-54, to turn their attention elsewhere.

Among those fans, the favorable rating went from 73 to 42 percent and the unfavorable rating rose from 19 to 47 percent.

Donald Trump predicted on September 27 that the National Football League will 'go to hell' if they don't listen to his demand for a ban on protests during pre-game playing of the National Anthem

He has been extremely vocal about his reaction to NFL protest that sparked following his comments at a rally in Alabama

Trump tweeted about the ratings going down but only attributes that to people being upset about the protest and not actually those who support Kaepernick

He has demanded that the NFL make it mandatory - because it is currently not - for players to stand for the anthem

Men entirely have seen a decrease in favorable ratings from 68 percent to 45 percent.

In fact, according to the Winston Poll, every sect of NFL fandom saw a decrease in support.

The news does slightly confirm the prediction made by President Donald Trump at the end of September saying that the continuation of the protest could spell bad news for the league.

Among men 34-54, the favorable rating went from 73 to 42 percent and the unfavorable rating rose from 19 to 47 percent

Protestors kneel outside U.S. Bank Stadium before the Minnesota Vikings game in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It goes against the narrative that those protesting the NFL are doing so just out of anger of the kneeling

Donald Trump predicted on September 27 that the National Football League will 'go to hell' if they don't listen to his demand for a ban on protests during pre-game playing of the National Anthem.

That pronouncement followed a stinging rebuke of the league the previous night during a Republican Party fundraising dinner in New York, where he blasted NFL executives for picking and choosing what kind of social-awareness campaigns are allowed on the field.

'They have a rule, you can't dance in the end zone, you can't wear pink socks – one guy's mother had breast cancer and they wouldn’t let him – you can’t do anything,' he carped, according to a report in Politico.

Following Trump's comments at a rally in Alabama last month, some 200 football players acted in some form of protest in response

The numbers have dwindled since then, but the message and impact are still evident and players have been taking to other forms of protesting to speak up

'But you're allowed to sit down for the National Anthem!'

As he left the White House for a tax reform speech in Indiana, Trump doubled and tripled down on his critique

'I think the NFL is in a box,' he told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House as Marin One's rotors whirred. 'I think they're in a really bad box.'

'You look at what's happening with their ratings. You look at what's going on. I mean, frankly, the only thing doing well in the NFL is the pregame because everybody wants to see what's going on.'

The Nielsen company, a firm that tracks television ratings, said Tuesday that NFL viewership has dipped 11 per cent this year, compared with the 2016 season

'I think the NFL is in a box,' he told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House as Marin One's rotors whirred. 'I think they're in a really bad box.'

'You cannot have people disrespecting our National Anthem, our flag, or our country, and that's what they're doing' the president added.

'And in my opinion, the NFL has to change. Or you know what's going to happen? their business is going to go to hell.'

The Nielsen company, a firm that tracks television ratings, said Tuesday that NFL viewership has dipped 11 per cent this year, compared with the 2016 season.

'Most importantly, the fans agree with me,' Trump said, before catching himself and saying: 'I mean, largely the fans agree.'

But both Trump and the study's analysis seem to be missing a very important factor in why the viewings may also be going down: those who are protesting the league in support of Kaepernick.

While some fans are protesting out of disgust for the protest started by Colin Kaepernick in response to police brutality against Black people, last year, others are protesting because the player hasn't been signed to a team yet.

In a unique protest, Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch arrived for his team's game against the Denver Broncos wearing a shirt that read: 'Everybody v. Trump'

Washington Redskins players during the the national anthem before the game against the Oakland Raiders at FedExField on September 24, 2017

Following Trump's comments at a rally in Alabama last month, some 200 football players acted in some form of protest in response.

The numbers have dwindled since then, but the message and impact are still evident and players have been taking to other forms of protesting to speak up.

In a unique protest, Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch arrived for his team's game against the Denver Broncos wearing a shirt that read: 'Everybody v. Trump'.