The NFL’s ban on Bluesky proves money means more than morals to the shield
Photo Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The NFL is blocking teams from having Bluesky accounts while backing X and TikTok. Nobody beats the NFL when it comes to performative gestures. End zones and helmets have been adorned with slogans like “Stop Hate” and “End Racism” for four years, but make no mistake: None of this matters to the shield unless it’s bringing in money. The greatest example of this came on Wednesday, with Awful Announcing catching that during a Q&A with the Patriots’ Fred Kirsch, VP of content for Kraft Sports & Entertainment a fan asked if the team could have an account on Twitter/X rival BlueSky, to which Kirsch replied: “Well, right now we’re not allowed to. We had an account briefly on Bluesky but the league asked us to take it down because it’s not an approved social media platform for the NFL yet.” There’s been no explanation from the NFL on why Bluesky is not an approved social media platform. Boasting over 28M users, Bluesky became an alternative to Twitter following Elon Musk’s purchase and rebranding of Twitter. What began as a self-professed quest for “free speech” by Musk has now morphed into the platform being a cesspool of engagement farmers, content thieves, bots, grifters, and a breeding ground for racist rhetoric. The only thing seemingly blocked on Musk’s social media platform is criticism of Elon Musk or his politics — which has led to the platform having three times as many account suspensions since Musk took over. This was underscored on Martin Luther King Jr. day when Musk gleefully cheered to the crowd during the inauguration of President Trump before giving a gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute, which has been censored internationally and celebrated by far-right extremists. The decay of Twitter/X paired with Musk’s promotion of extremist accounts he aligns with ideologically raises major questions on how deeply any company should have a partnership with the platform. The NFL did sign an extension of their agreement with Twitter/X in 2024 to be an exclusive social media partner for streaming games, highlights, and original content — but nowhere in that agreement did it indicate teams would not be allowed to have accounts on other networks. All 32 teams have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok — which was banned on January 19 based on Donald Trump’s concerns over its ownership and funneling of United States citizens’ private data to the Chinese government. TikTok was given a 90-day extension to find a new owner, but it’s abundantly clear that the app is more of a significant threat to users than Bluesky. However, these platforms are all on the NFL’s list of approved social media platforms, but Bluesky is not. It’s understandable if the league wants to maintain its agreement with Twitter/X — but nobody is asking for highlights, games, and exclusive content to be put on Bluesky, simply that teams are allowed to have accounts to share links and information with fans who choose not to participate in Musk’s network, or who prefer a platform where content isn’t boosted based on a pay-for-play algorithm. In light of the direction of X since Musk’s takeover, his recent actions, and the NFL’s alleged stance on being anti-racism and hatred, it seems like supporting an alternative would be in the league’s best interests. Of course, that assumes the NFL actually cares about things like that more than money, which we know isn’t true.
The NFL is blocking teams from having Bluesky accounts while backing X and TikTok.
Nobody beats the NFL when it comes to performative gestures. End zones and helmets have been adorned with slogans like “Stop Hate” and “End Racism” for four years, but make no mistake: None of this matters to the shield unless it’s bringing in money.
The greatest example of this came on Wednesday, with Awful Announcing catching that during a Q&A with the Patriots’ Fred Kirsch, VP of content for Kraft Sports & Entertainment a fan asked if the team could have an account on Twitter/X rival BlueSky, to which Kirsch replied:
“Well, right now we’re not allowed to. We had an account briefly on Bluesky but the league asked us to take it down because it’s not an approved social media platform for the NFL yet.”
There’s been no explanation from the NFL on why Bluesky is not an approved social media platform. Boasting over 28M users, Bluesky became an alternative to Twitter following Elon Musk’s purchase and rebranding of Twitter.
What began as a self-professed quest for “free speech” by Musk has now morphed into the platform being a cesspool of engagement farmers, content thieves, bots, grifters, and a breeding ground for racist rhetoric. The only thing seemingly blocked on Musk’s social media platform is criticism of Elon Musk or his politics — which has led to the platform having three times as many account suspensions since Musk took over.
This was underscored on Martin Luther King Jr. day when Musk gleefully cheered to the crowd during the inauguration of President Trump before giving a gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute, which has been censored internationally and celebrated by far-right extremists.
The decay of Twitter/X paired with Musk’s promotion of extremist accounts he aligns with ideologically raises major questions on how deeply any company should have a partnership with the platform. The NFL did sign an extension of their agreement with Twitter/X in 2024 to be an exclusive social media partner for streaming games, highlights, and original content — but nowhere in that agreement did it indicate teams would not be allowed to have accounts on other networks.
All 32 teams have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok — which was banned on January 19 based on Donald Trump’s concerns over its ownership and funneling of United States citizens’ private data to the Chinese government. TikTok was given a 90-day extension to find a new owner, but it’s abundantly clear that the app is more of a significant threat to users than Bluesky.
However, these platforms are all on the NFL’s list of approved social media platforms, but Bluesky is not. It’s understandable if the league wants to maintain its agreement with Twitter/X — but nobody is asking for highlights, games, and exclusive content to be put on Bluesky, simply that teams are allowed to have accounts to share links and information with fans who choose not to participate in Musk’s network, or who prefer a platform where content isn’t boosted based on a pay-for-play algorithm.
In light of the direction of X since Musk’s takeover, his recent actions, and the NFL’s alleged stance on being anti-racism and hatred, it seems like supporting an alternative would be in the league’s best interests. Of course, that assumes the NFL actually cares about things like that more than money, which we know isn’t true.
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