Pro-life advocates on Sunday urged NFL fans to skip the commercials during Super Bowl LIV and watch instead an online ad featuring abortion survivors that failed to make the FOX Corporation’s cut for the big game.
“Send a message to FOX Sports by shutting off your televisions during the Super Bowl’s commercial breaks; go instead to our YouTube channel, and watch the stories of these amazing survivors of abortion,” said Faces of Choice founder Lyric Gillett in a Saturday message to supporters.
Ms. Gillett has accused FOX of giving her the run-around for months before announcing that all commercials slots had been sold out for the Super Bowl, which will feature a Sabra hummus ad starring two drag queens and campaign ads for President Trump and Michael R. Bloomberg.
She also asked supporters to share the ad on social media with hashtags like #SuperBowl, #FacesofChoice, #ProLife and #FOXSports.
See the Super Bowl Ad FOX Sports wouldn’t run.
— Faces of Choice (@FacetheChoice) February 2, 2020
Choice is not merely a word. Choice is a person. Learn their stories.https://t.co/47BJQUe8qA#FacetheChoice #FacesofChoice #Superbowl2020 #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLIV #SuperBowlnaESPN #Football #NFL #ProLife #ProChoice #Abortion #Life pic.twitter.com/3jXCKgkbzI
The ad received shout-outs Sunday during Christian church services, she said, including at the Calvary Chapel Chino Hills megachurch, where Pastor Jack Hibbs played a video of the ad and urged parishioners to turn off the game during commercials.
“This is what was so offensive to FOX Sports,” said Mr. Hibbs as shown on livestream. “Those are people who survived abortions, or the attempt, and that was going to air to bring hope to people. That’s unacceptable material to FOX Sports, but the other [drag-queen ad] is acceptable.”
In a statement to the Washington Times, a FOX Corporation spokesperson said, “Super Bowl LIV sold out at a record pace this year, and unfortunately we were unable to accommodate Faces of Choice and other advertisers.”
Ms. Gillett said her media buyer had worked on securing ad space starting in July after Faces of Choice lined up donors to cover the $5 million price tag for the 30-second spot, but that FOX executives stonewalled and strung her along until it was too late.
She said she was told that “multiple churches” showed the ad during Sunday worship, adding, “I’d love it if pastors around the nation played it next week! Wish I had thought of that.”
Faces of Choice is now aiming to have the ad run during Super Bowl LV, which will be hosted by CBS in 2021.
An online petition circulated by My Faith Votes to have the ad run this year gathered more than 53,000 signatures.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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