FedEx Threatens to Remove Its Signage from the Redskins Stadium if Their Name Isn’t Changed. Letter says the Name Harms FedEx’s Reputation & is inconsistent w/its commitment to inclusive society

From [HERE] FedEx, the shipping giant that signed a $205 million stadium naming rights deal with the Washington Redskins in 1999, notified the team in a July 2 letter that unless the team changes its name it will remove its signage from the stadium after the NFL’s 2020 season, six years before the deal’s expiration.

The two-page letter, from the general counsel of FedEx to the general counsel at Washington Football Inc., the corporate name of the Redskins, was emailed the same day FedEx publicly acknowledged in a one-sentence statement that it had communicated its “request” that the team change its name.

The private letter is more detailed and pointed. It noted that the team’s name, which it never cited, poses the risk of harming FedEx’s brand reputation and is inconsistent with its commitment to a more inclusive society.

The removal of FedEx’s name and signage from the stadium would cost Snyder dearly. Because FedEx is paying its $205 million naming-rights deal over time, roughly $45 million is due after the 2020 season, if payments are spread out evenly over the 27-year contract. By citing the risk to the FedEx brand, the letter appears to lay the foundation for terminating the agreement “for cause.” That interpretation, confirmed by a person with knowledge of the letter, means that FedEx wouldn’t pay the balance due after 2020 if the name isn’t changed. [MORE]