Several days after the video of former Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee became public, a few NFL sponsors balked at having their ads aired as planned during the Ravens' nationally televised Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on CBS.
One sponsor asked to have its ad broadcast in a different game, according to a published report that the network did not dispute. Another requested that its ad air at a different point than originally scheduled in the Sept. 11 game
"We filled up those spots in about five seconds," CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves told the Hollywood Reporter, which first reported on the sponsors' moves. "As a television product, the NFL is still very valuable."
An NFL spokeswoman referred inquiries to the network Thursday.
CBS said it had nothing to add to the report. The network, which declined to name the advertisers, said no other sponsors have moved or withdrawn ads from Ravens games.
The video posted by celebrity website TMZ on Sept. 8 showed Rice punching his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, in February in an Atlantic City, N.J., casino elevator. After the video surfaced, the Ravens terminated the former running back's contract and the NFL made his two-game suspension an indefinite one.
Asked about its advertisers, a Ravens official said Thursday that they were still in the fold.
'We've reached out to our partners," said Kevin Rochlitz, the team's vice president of corporate sales and business development. "We understand some could be concerned. Our owner has addressed it publicly."
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