Tuesday is Veterans Day, a day dedicated to honoring and commemorating the service of all U.S. veterans. A day when it’s common for Americans to come together and recognize the sacrifices of so many to defend America and American ideals.
It’s pretty standard practice for companies, networks, and organizations to offer a Veterans Day tribute. So when ESPN interrupted Monday Night Football to make one on Monday evening, that was to be expected.
What struck some viewers as odd, however, was that the tribute was brought to us by several advertisers, including a video game that critics say fetishizes jingoism and killing, amongst many other criticisms.
ESPN’s tribute to veterans is brought to you by Call of Duty: Black Ops 7… pic.twitter.com/n8aEah3max
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 11, 2025
As pictures of military veterans who work for the company rotated across the screen, ESPN announcer Joe Buck spent an inordinate amount of time sharing appreciation for advertisers such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Burger King, Progressive, and Lowe’s. At one point, the sponsorship box covered part of a military veteran’s photo.
Highlighting sponsorships during the Veterans Day tribute rubbed some viewers the wrong way.
It’s worth noting that the Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit founded by the company behind the video game. It had donated over $73 million in grants to support non-profit organizations and help veterans find employment.
That said, many critics still see a disconnect between those efforts and the impact and vision of the games themselves, which have been accused of having a “western-centric worldview, clumsy stereotyping, and fetishisation of military power.”
Ultimately, setting aside the debate over Call of Duty’s intention and vision of the military, running ads atop a Veterans Day tribute was a bad look—one that ESPN hopefully won’t repeat in future versions. We understand the need to make a buck, especially right now, but not everything needs to be commodified.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.