With America\u2019s biggest night in sport less than a week away from touching down, companies must be cautious to avoid using the words \u2018Super Bowl\u2019 in their advertising campaigns unless they have paid a hefty price.\u00a0 Why you ask?\u00a0 Well, the National Football League trademarked the term almost 50 years ago, back in 1969, and has since become one of the most lucrative sporting leagues on the planet.<\/p>\n
The annual championship game of American football is watched by millions of Americans and is televised all over the world.\u00a0 The abundance of viewers and stringent regulations lead to an expensive advertising price tag.\u00a0 According to USA Today<\/em>, television network CBS charged approximately $5 million for a 30 second ad spot in 2016.<\/p>\n If companies use the term for financial gain without permission, they will quickly find themselves in legal trouble.\u00a0 The NFL do not take the issue lightly, as according to sporting website SB Nation<\/em>, a cease and desist letter was handed to a church in 2007 for selling tickets to a Super Bowl party.<\/p>\n Instances of companies avoiding the term are easy to spot.\u00a0 In a 2015 tweet by Nike San Francisco<\/em>\u00a0promoting team merchandise, the event was referred to as \u2018The Big Game\u2019, whilst Delta Airlines<\/em> referred to it as the \u2018Pro Football Championship\u2019.<\/p>\n The decision to trademark the term years ago has helped lead to enormous advertising revenue for the National Football League year after year, demonstrating the vital importance of protecting your intellectual property.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Credit:\u00a0Daniel Abdallah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"