• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, July 29, 2020

A multitude of consumer research has already established that a majority of Americans support professional athletes, teams and leagues racial injustice activism, and now there are Nielsen ratings to prove it. Well, sort of.

Nielsen Sports conducted a study of 1,000 U.S. adults in July and found that nearly seven in ten American sports fans support the Black Lives Matter Movement, including the right of teams and leagues to support athletes' protests over racial injustice.

More significantly, the study found overwhelming support for brands that lean into the movement and support athletes, teams, leagues and other initiatives promoting social change, and especially racial equity.

“Brands and rights holders that authentically align with these critical issues as they engage sports fans can drive positive social change while also achieving business objectives," states Lyndon Campbell, senior vice president-client solutions at Nielsen Sports, adding: "This is the definition of a win-win situation.”