Nike ends relationship with Manny Pacquiao following anti-gay comments

Nike has ended its sponsorship contract with Manny Pacquiao in the wake of the boxer's anti-gay comments.

"We find Manny Pacquiao's comments abhorrent. Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community," Nike said in a statement. "We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao."

In an interview televised this week, Pacquiao said that gay couples are "worse than animals."

"Do you see animals mating with the same sex?" asked the boxer, who is a member of the Philippines' House of Representatives and is currently campaigning for a seat in the Senate. "Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female.

"If men mate with men and women mate with women, they are worse than animals," he said.

In 2012, Nike condemned Pacquiao after the boxer spoke out against same-sex marriage, but did not sever its ties with him.

Pacquiao apologized for his comments in a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday.