The Weird Reason Brands Can't Say 'Super Bowl' In Their Commercials

The Super Bowl is the biggest game of every NFL season, so it's understandable to think that's why many advertisers refer to it as the "Big Game." Behind the scenes, though there's a big reason why marketing brands don't use the phrase "Super Bowl" in their advertisements instead.

In short, "Super Bowl" is a copyrighted phrase owned by the NFL, according to SB Nation. If advertisers try to get around the using the words "Super Bowl" by using something like "Super Sunday," that's copyrighted by the league, too, the publication said. If marketers try to sneak a Super Bowl reference in one of their advertisements and are caught by the league doing so, they will face the wrath of the NFL's legal team with a cease-and-desist letter, SB added.

One reason the NFL has such a tight grip over the phrase is because it gives the league the ability to charge millions of dollars for 30-second Super Bowl commercials during the game — which traditionally is one of the most-viewed television events of the year. As such, the cost of a Super Bowl commercial in 2024 is unbelievable. According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS, which is owned by Paramount Global, charged as much as $7 million for a 30-second spot ahead of this year's Super Bowl. In 2023, Fox earned $600 million in advertising revenue from broadcasting the Super Bowl, which drew in 115 million viewers, THR reported.

While marketers have come to realize that they can't use "Super Bowl" or "Super Sunday" in their advertisements without paying a hefty price, there are other copyrighted terms that can't be used, either.

The social media marketing agency The Motherhood has a complete rundown of the rules advertisers must adhere to should they try to peddle their products for the "Big Game." Because they are all copyrighted by the NFL, the site noted that specific team names can't be used, nor can team logos. Even the names of players are forbidden in any marketing for the NFL championship game, so don't expect the names of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes or San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to pop up in any advertisement concerning the 2024 Super Bowl.

If consumers see the phrase "Super Bowl" being used in an advertising campaign — particularly by a large corporation — it means that it is paying a huge licensing fee to the NFL to do so. For example, electronic retail giant Best Buy has been prominently advertising large-screen TVs on its homepage, including in its ad that the company is an "official sponsor of Super Bowl LVIII." Also included in the ad is the official logo of this year's Super Bowl.

According to the Wake Forest Law Review, the NFL copyrighted the phrase "Super Bowl" in 1969.