• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
RetailSuper Bowl

Here’s why companies can’t say ‘Super Bowl’ in their Super Bowl ads

By
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 20, 2015, 2:05 PM ET
Super Bowl XLVIII - Seattle Seahawks v Denver Broncos
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 02: Tight end Zach Miller #86 and quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks dump Gatorade on head coach Pete Carroll in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium on February 2, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Seattle Seahawks won 43-8. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Photograph by Kevin C. Cox — Getty Images

This post is in partnership with Time. The article below was originally published at Time.com.

By Jack Linshi, TIME

By now, you’ve seen plenty of commercials advertising February’s Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. But there’s a second kind of Super Bowl ad you might have seen, too: the kind that isn’t allowed to say “Super Bowl.”

The National Football League, which has trademarked the term “Super Bowl,” isn’t afraid to send cease-and-desist letters to anybody using the term without permission, according to SB Nation. That means brands that aren’t willing to pay the big bucks to use the term have to come up with sometimes strange alternatives instead.

The tight regulations are part of the reason why the NFL’s ad space for the game is so lucrative: In 2010, Budweiser signed a six-year Super Bowl sponsorship deal worth over $1 billion, while 30-second Super Bowl ads — which reach over 100 million viewers — regularly sell for $4 million a pop.

In the past, the rules have led to awkward workarounds like Stephen Colbert’s “Superb Owl,” a tongue-in-cheek joke poking fun at the NFL’s habit of tightly guarding the Super Bowl trademark:

If you're a fan of my Superb Owl coverage, tweet about it with the official hashtag, #SUPERBOWL.

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) January 29, 2014

Here’s how some brands are working around the restriction this year:

.@Delta to add more service between Phoenix and Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle to accommodate fans going to the pro football championship.

— Delta News Hub (@DeltaNewsHub) January 20, 2015

https://twitter.com/NikeSF/status/556628290799411200

ESPN has used the phrase "pro football championship on Feb 1st" three times. Why can't they say Super Bowl, which is a TM name?

— i'm back? i guess? (@charlesthomas) January 19, 2015

https://twitter.com/MillerLite/status/557011220105289730

Did you hear that in the sky? Lots of cheers & tears. Free Inflight TV will carry the next game, if you're flying on a WiFi-enabled flight!

— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) January 18, 2015

 

About the Author
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

RetailRetail
Walmart teams with Alphabet for AI-assisted shopping on Gemini
By Jaewon Kang and BloombergJanuary 11, 2026
1 day ago
Outgoing Walmart CEO Doug McMillon
SuccessMillionaires
Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon out-earns the average American’s salary in less than 20 hours—during a typical 30-minute commute, he’s already made $1,563
By Emma BurleighJanuary 9, 2026
3 days ago
Nela Richardson, chief economist at Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP).
EconomyLabor
For jobless Gen Z, healthcare is the place to be as blue-collar hiring outstrips office jobs, says ADP’s top economist
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 8, 2026
5 days ago
Trump Store
PoliticsRetail
‘Trump must be doing wonders for the economy’: Online commenters jeer closure of suburban Philly Trump Store that ‘has kind of run its course’
By Mike Catalini and The Associated PressJanuary 7, 2026
5 days ago
RetailSoutheast Asia 500
Jollibee shares surge after the Filipino fried chicken chain says it’ll spin off its ‘higher-growth but more volatile’ global business
By Angelica AngJanuary 7, 2026
6 days ago
RetailLuxury
How a real estate scion’s risky dealmaking pushed Saks Global to the brink
By Phil WahbaJanuary 6, 2026
6 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Sell America’: Investors dump U.S. assets in fear of the end of Fed independence
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 12, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
This CEO laid off nearly 80% of his staff because they refused to adopt AI fast enough. 2 years later, he says he'd do it again
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 11, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
A Supreme Court ruling that strikes down Trump's tariffs would be the fastest way to revive the stalling job market, top economist says
By Jason MaJanuary 11, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may be raising your taxes with his tariffs but he could actually cut inflation with them, too, SF Fed says
By Jake AngeloJanuary 6, 2026
6 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
An exec at $62 billion giant Colgate says Gen Z workers, despite getting flak for being woke and lazy, are actually ‘pushing us to get better’
By Emma BurleighJanuary 10, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Treasury spent $276 billion in interest on the national debt in the final three months of 2025, says the CBO—up $30 billion from a year prior
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 12, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.