Is it illegal to use the term 'Super Bowl' in commercials? Why companies have to navigate around NFL's rules

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Super Bowl LVIII - Previews
Is it illegal to use the term 'Super Bowl' in commercials?

The 2023-24 NFL season will conclude with the Super Bowl this Sunday. It will see the Kansas City Chiefs fight the San Francisco 49ers. The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched events in the country. That is why companies go all out with their commercials during the game despite the hefty cost of advertising.

However, there are some rules and guidelines that programmers, promotions and production directors should keep in mind during the big game. It will help them avoid legal issues surrounding the copyrighted Super Bowl name.

Companies can and will be sued if they use the words Super Bowl in any of their commercials, as it violates the NFL's policy. The term has been a registered NFL trademark since 1969.

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Furthermore, the league also covers phrases such as Super Sunday, Gameday, Back to Football, and 1st and GOAL. Even the association's logo, football player names and the 32 team logos cannot be used by businesses.

Hence, companies and stations should find a way around the mentioned terms to avoid legal issues. Generally, advertisers use words like "the Big Game" or "the football championship" when promoting their product or service during commercials.

5 best Super Bowl commercials of 2024

The Super Bowl is a showpiece event, and the reports suggest that a 30-second spot for an advertisement this year is being sold for around $7 million. Nonetheless, here are some of the best Super Bowl commercials at this year's big game:

#1. Starry feat. Ice Spice

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#2. Mountain Dew Baja Blast feat. Aubrey Plaza and Nick Offerman

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#3. Popeyes feat. Ken Jeong

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#4. Coors Light feat. LL Cool J and Lainey Wilson

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#5. Michelob Ultra feat. Lionel Messi and Jason Sudeikis

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Super Bowl 2024: How to watch NFL postseason finale between Chiefs and 49ers?

The Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl 58 game will be telecast live on CBS. Fans can also watch an alternate broadcast of the matchup on Nickelodeon.

The Chiefs-49ers postseason finale can also be streamed live on Paramount+, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DAZN, Sling TV, FuboTV and Fubo TV.

Chiefs Fans! Check out the latest Kansas City Chiefs Schedule and dive into the Chiefs Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Abhimanyu Gupta