Redskins sponsor FedEx asks for team name change
A key sponsor of the Washington Redskins has asked the U.S. football team to change its name.
FedEx has the naming rights to FedExField, the team's stadium in Landover, Maryland.
It paid over $200 million dollars for that deal in 1999, according to media reports at the time.
FedEx has declined to elaborate on why it made the request.
But its name adds pressure to renewed calls from critics for a rebrand.
The team's name is widely seen as a racial slur against Native Americans and has been a topic of fierce debate for years.
Criticism has surged again after the death of George Floyd in police custody that sparked widespread protests for racial justice across the United States.
Redskins owner Dan Snyder has previously said he would not change the name of the franchise.
The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Kansas City Chiefs faced similar criticism from Native American advocates in the run-up to the their win at the Super Bowl in February.
