CBS Sports refused to air a commercial for The Business Bible during the Hula Bowl, the college football all-star game played last Saturday, January 16, in Orlando.

Just one year ago, CBS Sports hired Senior Director of Workplace Culture and Diversity Initiatives Ndidi Massay to bring “diversity and inclusion” to the company. Evidently some folks didn’t get the message about real diversity, as the company was not inclusive toward an advertisement for a company producing a Bible for Christian men and women in the business world.  

Journalist Todd Starnes, who broke the story, said, “The Bible is the best-selling book in history. For CBS Sports to turn away a paying customer is hardly the best business practice. Sounds like CBS sports executives should consider reading The Business Bible.”

He wrote, “The network has gone to great lengths to pride itself in its tolerance and diversity,” but said that claim now “rings hollow.”

The Business Bible was one of the sponsors of the Hula Bowl, along with Five Guys, Newsweek, Wilson, DoubleTree by Hilton and other businesses.

Nicholas Leone, founder of The Business Bible, told Starnes about the Bible ban, “The ad is about business, discovering your success story, and is a nice introduction to the resource that will be available later this year.”

“As a businessman, I don’t understand this decision, he said, adding, “The network must not realize millions of men and women in the marketplace love talking about sports, business, and the Bible. Unfortunately, this may be another example of our mainstream media controlling the narrative contrary to the values of many Americans. There really is no basis for their position.”

The Business Bible is scheduled to be available in 2022, and “is filled with articles, case studies, and links to exclusive videos that reveal God’s plan for business and the power and purpose of wealth,” its website says, explaining, “From beginning to end the Bible is about work (their emphasis).”

In an article for U.S. News and World Report titled, “The Bible is a Good Business Guide,” Leone explained that successful CEOs and corporations follow principles that have their origins in Scripture.

Those principles include things like “Genesis’ call for humanity to work and protect the earth,” not wronging people in business transactions, serving others and practicing good stewardship.

Photo from Shutterstock.