The biggest clash in the N.F.L. over the weekend was off the field — but the battle over protests may soon draw in the broadcasters, deep-pocketed sponsors who partner with the league as well.

The Big Question

Mr. Trump suggested that fans were already punishing the N.F.L., saying that ratings were way down.

That isn’t true for the most part, according to PolitiFact and The Times’s Julie Hirschfield Davis. Still, Fortune’s David Z. Morris argued that a Trump-inspired boycott could end up hurting the league’s partners:

The likely outcome will be continued erosion in viewership, costing broadcasters hundreds of millions of dollars. That could impact renewal negotiations down the line, but even a divisive NFL remains a rare unifying force in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

Some viewers — and venues that show N.F.L. games — appear ready to back a boycott.