Is a Super Bowl Party Legal? What to Know About Sharing the Game Broadcast (2024)
The Super Bowl party is a great American tradition: the big game, goofy commercials, and gobs of food. But is it legal to host a party if you’re watching the big game? We’ll break down the mystery.
First off, the NFL doesn’t have a police force that’s going to break down your door and throw handcuffs on you if you’re having a party. But the league can get testy, depending on the circ*mstances.
Super Bowl Parties at Churches
In 2007, the NFL threatened to sue churches that were hosting Super Bowl parties, but that’s because some of the churches were going above and beyond a typical party situation.
At the time, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the issue was that some churches were charging admission (to cover food), and showing the game using a projector. They also used the phrase “Super Bowl” in advertisem*nts for the event.
However, in the face of legislative pushback, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell composed a letter saying, “the league will not object to live showings – regardless of screen size – of the Super Bowl by a religious organization when such showings are free and on premises used by the religious organization on a routine and customary basis.”
Super Bowl Parties at Bars and Other Venues
Sports bars may have to pay specific licenses to show NFL games - those are determined by the size of the venue, the number and size of screens, and how many speakers are in play. If you own a sports bar, you should consult an attorney to be sure you’re on the right side of the law.
Venues (including bars) can’t charge admission to watch the Super Bowl, and the law generally prevents them from showing the game on a TV bigger than 55 inches. The league has had to inform theaters, schools, museums, casinos, and hotels about these rules.
Again, these rules may be legally dodged if the venue pays the correct license to the league.
What the Law Says About Super Bowl Parties
When it comes to the law, there’s a lot of grey area. In 1976, the drafters of the “Transmit Clause” added to U.S. copyright law didn’t consider the possibility of a massive gathering to watch an event. The most-watched TV show that year was “Happy Days.” No one was charging admission for a huge party to watch the Fonz on a 25” Zenith. The law has not been revisited since then, so even if the NFL wanted to sue you for a party, it would have no legal precedent unless you were trying to turn a profit from their content.
Essentially, if you’re trying to make money from a Super Bowl party, the league might object. If they chose to press charges, they might have a case. Here's the specific copyright law if you want to do your own deep dive.
How to Watch the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs airs at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) on Sunday, February 12. Rihanna is performing the halftime show.
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But there is an exception, from section 110 of the copyright law: You can show the game to a big crowd, provided you're not charging people to watch it and that when you tune in, you're only using “a single receiving apparatus of a kind commonly used in private homes.” (This is called the “homestyle” exemption.)
Location matters. The NFL will not object when a church has a party for its congregants to watch the Super Bowl together if it holds its “viewing party” in its usual place of worship and does not charge a fee for attending the viewing party.
They are not allowed to use the term “Super Bowl” in any advertisem*nt because the NFL simply owns the trademark. It's why you see restaurants and bars advertising parties by using the words "The Big Game".
You must respect all applicable local, national, and international laws while using Watch Parties. Do not invade the privacy of others. It is prohibited to share content that may reveal personal information about individuals, or their private property, without permission.
CBS is broadcasting Super Bowl 58 on Feb. 11, 2024, taking its turn in a rotation of three networks that will soon become four. NBC, CBS, and Fox alternate Super Bowl broadcasts, and ABC will join the rotation with Super Bowl 61 in February 2027.Super Bowl 58 can also be streamed live on Paramount+.
Currently, the cheapest face-value tickets for this year's Super Bowl sold directly by the NFL were about $2,000. And that price is after fans, including season ticket holders, win the chance to fork over several grand to buy them via a lottery system.
NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy told Newsweek in 2022 that the league doesn't pay halftime performers an "appearance fee, but the artists are indeed paid union scale." But Newsweek reported that under the union agreement that would've been about $1,000 a day for the Jennifer Lopez and Shakira Super ...
And the fancier the owners want them to be, the higher the price. In 2015, the New England Patriots gave players a ring with 205 diamonds, which cost $5.475 million, an estimated $36,500 each (according to ESPN). Only part of that cost is picked up by the NFL—roughly somewhere between $5,000 and $7,000 per ring.
Companies can't use the term because the league charges companies lots of money to use the term. For example, this year, a 30-second ad costs $7 million. Marketers also can't use other terms that are copywritten by the league, such as team names and player names.
Simply put, the NFL views any commercial activity that uses or refers to the “Super Bowl” to draw attention as a violation of its trademark rights. Many of the activities challenged by the league undoubtedly deserve to be penalized. However, the NFL's rule book defines trademark violations very broadly.
However, you may accept donations to defray the cost of food and other supplies. To eliminate the risk of copyright infringement, your church should avoid using the logos of the NFL, the Super Bowl, and the participating teams. Referring to the NFL, the Super Bowl, or the teams by name is permissible.
If your guests are arriving early, you can play some games beforehand, getting everyone into the spirit of the day. You can also play games that last all evening long, like Super Bowl Bingo, or games involving rating every commercial you see. There are plenty of great ideas for Super Bowl games out there.
Although many people are going to friends and family's houses, bars and restaurants can organize and bring a better Super Bowl watch party experience. When the Super Bowl food and drinks are curated well and served on time everyone will be happy. You can also think about things to do during the half-time break.
Most church Super Bowl parties are perfectly legal, but a few regulations could cause the NFL to throw a penalty flag on a congregation. Most church Super Bowl parties are perfectly legal, but a few regulations could cause the NFL to throw a penalty flag on a congregation.
Is streaming sports illegal? Watching an unlicensed sporting event is not illegal, but downloading and/or hosting the streaming of an unlicensed event is illegal.
Steer clear of other prohibited terms, logos, and images.
In addition to “Super Bowl” and “Super Sunday,” do not mention or use the logo of the NFL, the American Football Conference (AFC), the National Football Conference (NFC) or any of the league's teams, including a mascot.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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