FedEx Asks Washington Redskins to Change their Team Name

Global shipping giant FedEx paid a staggering $205 million for the naming rights to the Washington Redskin’s stadium and has asked the team to change its moniker.

A FedEx spokesman told CNBC: “We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.”

According to Frederick Smith, CEO of the company and a minority owner of the team, the company is the most important business partner of the team to take a stance against the name yet.

The Redskins name has faced srutiny and backlash for years as many consider it a racial slur against Native Americans. Native Americans have challenged the name for decades, going back as far as the 1960’s.

FedEx had bought naming rights to the team’s home stadium, FedEx Field, in 1998 for $205 million in a deal that runs through 2025.

With the BLM protests and many companies changing or adapting polices to fight racial injustice, NFL players have become more outspoken about their role in racial issues.

References to Redskins team founder George Preston Marshall, who named the team in 1933, were removed from team materials last month because he was a vocal supporter of racial segregation.

A team spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Owner Daniel Snyder has previously said he will never change the name.

“We’ll never change the name,” Snyder told USA Today in 2013. “It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) and have not been compensated for this article.