On The Front Lines
NFL Concedes to Pressure from The Rutherford Institute & Congress, Agrees to Allow Churches to View Super Bowl on Large-Screen TVs
NEW YORK, NY -- After intense pressure from The Rutherford Institute and members of Congress, the National Football League has finally acceded to demands that it change its policies in order to accommodate churches who wish to show the Super Bowl on big-screen televisions.
In a Feb. 19 letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that the league will not object to live showings of the Super Bowl by religious organizations, regardless of screen size, as long as the viewings are free and are on premises that the church uses on a routine and customary basis. The NFL intends to implement the policy starting with next year's Super Bowl.
"I'm glad to see the NFL change its policy. Unfortunately, it took a year and a half of persistence on the part of The Rutherford Institute to get it done. It all goes to show that ordinary people can effect change, but you can't back down," said Institute president John W. Whitehead.
Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have been working on this issue since prior to the Bowl game in 2007, when the NFL warned churches that viewing the Super Bowl broadcasts on large-screen televisions at church-sponsored gatherings infringed on the league's copyright in the broadcast. More recently, Institute attorneys have been working with several members of Congress to craft legislation that would create an exemption to the Copyright Law for religious organizations.
The NFL's policy came to light in early 2007 after NFL attorneys reportedly warned officials at Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis against hosting a "Super Bowl Bash" to which church members and guests were invited to watch Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears on a wall projector at the church.
According to media reports, NFL officials sent Fall Creek's Pastor John D. Newland a letter demanding that the party be cancelled. Some of the things to which NFL attorneys objected were the church's plan to charge partygoers a fee to attend; the church's use of the words "Super Bowl" in its promotions; the church's plan to use a projector to show the game on a 12-foot-wide screen; and the church's plan to show a video in conjunction with the game highlighting the Christian testimonies of Colts coach Tony Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello defended the league's actions, pointing to its longstanding policy against "mass out-of-home viewings" of the Super Bowl, even if they don't charge admission, and requirement that hosts of parties only use one TV no bigger than 55 inches.
Pointing out that the NFL makes an exception to its mass-viewing policy for sports bars that show televised sports on a regular basis, The Rutherford Institute urged league officials to revise the policy, but the league refused to disavow any intent to take action against churches. Thus, the Institute continued to work with churches seeking to challenge the policy.
Controversy over the policy continued through the broadcast of Super Bowl XLII earlier this year, culminating in national media coverage that resulted in a national outcry among members of Congress and Super Bowl fans alike. Consequently, after consulting with The Rutherford Institute, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) proposed legislation to amend the Copyright Act to exempt churches from any prohibition on displaying football broadcasts so long as the church does not charge a fee.
