Ursa Majoris Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Can anyone fathom the logic behind the NFL banning Superbowl parties where the game is shown on big screens? These are public airwaves, right? What profit are these parties taking away from the NFL? Super Bowl shouldn't be viewed on super screens Unless you're in a sports bar, the NFL says large-screen viewing violates copyright law. You may be doing the Good Lord's work, but that won't matter as far as the NFL is concerned. If any house of worship -- or nearly anyone else, for that matter -- intends to show Sunday's Super Bowl game on a large screen for a group of people, the league says you are violating its copyright. That's news to the Rev. Mark Shockey of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Edina. St. Peter's has just such a gathering planned for Sunday, when it will project the Big Game on a 5- by 7-foot screen, Shockey said. That's way larger than what the NFL allows. The league bans public exhibitions of its games on TV sets or screens larger than 55 inches because smaller sets limit the audience size. "We have no objection to churches and others hosting Super Bowl parties as long as they ... show the game on a television of the type commonly used at home," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "It is a matter of copyright law." Large Super Bowl gatherings around big-screen sets outside of homes shrink TV ratings and can affect advertising revenue, McCarthy said. The section of copyright law giving the NFL protection over the content of its programming exempts sports bars, he said. The issue came to a head last year after the NFL sent a letter to Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis, warning the church not to show the Super Bowl on a giant video screen. For years, the church had held a Super Bowl party in its auditorium, attracting about 400 people and showing the game on a big screen usually reserved for hymn lyrics. Other churches in the Twin Cities and elsewhere have Super Bowl viewing parties in the works, including St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Bloomington, St. Mary's Orthodox Church in northeast Minneapolis and Plainview Church of Christ in southeastern Minnesota. As for St. Peter's in Edina, Shockey said he was unaware of the restriction. "I think that would lead me to want to look into it a little more," he said. He's anticipating about 45 to 50 people for the party, which he described as "an excuse to have some snacks and enjoy the game together." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 "We have no objection to churches and others hosting Super Bowl parties as long as they ... show the game on a television of the type commonly used at home," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "It is a matter of copyright law." Our main tv is 63". This makes me want to haul it down to a church's SB party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 We have one of those Cinema/Pub type places nearby, the kind with the car seats as the movie theater seats and so forth. They were denied showing the SB again this year, even though they don't charge admission to get in. They make their money on the food and drinks they sell. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Pat!!! Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 We have one of those Cinema/Pub type places nearby, the kind with the car seats as the movie theater seats and so forth. They were denied showing the SB again this year, even though they don't charge admission to get in. They make their money on the food and drinks they sell. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I was just about to post the same thing.... Chunky's is a pretty cool place to catch a flick, and I bet would have been a great palce to watch the game. I just don't understand the NFL's thinking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 I just don't understand the NFL's thinking... Let me give you a glimpse into Roger Goodell's head: "Let's squeeze these sucker fans for every last f*cking drop we can get. They'll take whatever abuse we choose to dish out." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Pro-sports are getting a little bit grabby recently what with the trying to own fantasy stats, this TV size thing, and the other various scandals the government have had to get involved with. Methinks a change is brewing. Government-run Pro Sports! It'll be awesome. My taxes will pay Peyton Manning's salary. Al Davis can be forcibly removed by US Marshalls. Calls will no longer be decided by referrees, but by federal judges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donutrun Jellies Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 (edited) Methinks a change is brewing. Government-run Pro Sports! It'll be awesome. My taxes will pay Peyton Manning's salary. Al Davis can be forcibly removed by US Marshalls. Calls will no longer be decided by referrees, but by federal judges. Soon, we'll have two guys blocking and three others standing around leaning on shovels while the QB eats a sammich and talks on his cell phone. Edited February 2, 2008 by Donutrun Jellies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 So, you could have a bar with 100 54" screens, but if you have just one 56+ inch screen you are in violation? What a bunch of bull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaterMan Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 How are you all liking this new tough commish? Savior my ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD6405 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 (edited) So, you could have a bar with 100 54" screens, but if you have just one 56+ inch screen you are in violation? What a bunch of bull. Yes, they would like a bar with 100 54" tvs, because that raises how many televisions are tuned in to the broadcast and raises ad revenue. 100 TVs + 10 people = 100 statistical viewers. One LARGE TV + 400 people = 1 statisical viewer. Edited February 2, 2008 by CD6405 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 So, you could have a bar with 100 54" screens, but if you have just one 56+ inch screen you are in violation? What a bunch of bull. Yes, they would like a bar with 100 54" tvs, because that raises how many televisions are tuned in to the broadcast and raises ad revenue. 100 TVs + 10 people = 100 statistical viewers. One LARGE TV + 400 people = 1 statisical viewer. Sports bars are actually excluded from the restriction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD6405 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 (edited) Sports bars are actually excluded from the restriction. I know that, but I was making an example for examples sake. Some people don't understand why they NFL does it. It's not fun they do it, but they have a reason...everything is money, and it sucks for some people. It's still just a business. Edited February 2, 2008 by CD6405 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 I know that, but I was making an example for examples sake. Some people don't understand why they NFL does it. It's not fun they do it, but they have a reason...everything is money, and it sucks for some people. It's still just a business. Sure it's a business but the NFL is the Walmart of sports businesses. Although I love the game, I detest the organization itself with a passion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Let me give you a glimpse into Roger Goodell's head: "Let's squeeze these sucker fans for every last f*cking drop we can get. They'll take whatever abuse we choose to dish out." Sure it's a business but the NFL is the Walmart of sports businesses. Although I love the game, I detest the organization itself with a passion. Well said on both counts - sad but true. It's been their mindset for a long time.....and yet another reason I say ..|.. to the NFL. I'll never attend a game or buy their merchandise. I didn't even buy anything when my team won the SB. In fact if it wasn't for FF, I'd have almost no interest in the NFL whatsoever, even though I love football. I'd love to see fans follow suit, but like you said most will put up with the ridiculous ticket prices and damn near anything else (and these people have little right to complain IMO - don't like it then don't support it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Flick Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Much ado about nothing. How do you enforce something like this? Not to mention you can set up more than one TV. THe party me and my buddies host every year always has at least a solid half dozen, if not more. Let's see them go and sue a church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Let's see them go and sue a church. They have sent cease-and-desist letters to movie theaters showing playoff games on their screens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDFFFreak Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 I just don't get it. What harm does it cause? Are people less likely to watch the commercials in that type of environment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtra Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth and whatever you feed it is never enough. -- Janwillem van de Wetering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SF409ers Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 What they might try and do is figure out new ways to accurately track the # of SB viewers each year other than via broadcast #’s. Of course that is probably much harder to do if they are trying to produce “hard numbers” to use as their basis for ad costs, but it would be less “intrusive”. In the end the NFL doesn't care about how many TV's are used or the size of them to show the game, they care about how many people view it so they can charge advertisers accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Jack Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 What they might try and do is figure out new ways to accurately track the # of SB viewers each year other than via broadcast #’s. Aren't the numbers typically taken from a sampling? Seems like you could take a sampling during the superbowl and figure out how many people on average are sitting around one TV and go from there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montster Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 What they might try and do is figure out new ways to accurately track the # of SB viewers each year other than via broadcast #’s. Of course that is probably much harder to do if they are trying to produce “hard numbers” to use as their basis for ad costs, but it would be less “intrusive”. In the end the NFL doesn't care about how many TV's are used or the size of them to show the game, they care about how many people view it so they can charge advertisers accordingly. well, technically, the nfl doesn't sell the ad time, the networks do. of course, the more money the networks get, the more valuable the nfl can claim its product to be, but ratings would be more the concern of the network than the nfl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 it bites ..senseless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberho27 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Theres a local movie theater here that is showing the game on the big screen. They also serve food and alcohol so go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD6405 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Theres a local movie theater here that is showing the game on the big screen. They also serve food and alcohol so go figure. I'm calling the NFL now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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