NFL Pulls Plug On Big-Screen Church Parties For Super Bowl

[kurth]

NFL Pulls Plug On Big-Screen Church Parties For Super Bowl
By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Washington Post Staff Writer

For years, as many as 200 members of Immanuel Bible Church and their friends have gathered in the church's fellowship hall to watch the Super Bowl on its six-foot screen. The party featured hard hitting on the TV, plenty of food -- and prayer.

But this year, Immanuel's Super Bowl party is no more. After a crackdown by the National Football League on big-screen Super Bowl gatherings by churches, the Springfield church has sacked its event. Instead, church members will host parties in their homes.

Immanuel is among a number of churches in the Washington area and elsewhere that have been forced to use a new playbook to satisfy the NFL, which said that airing games at churches on large-screen TV sets violates the NFL copyright.

Ministers are not happy.

"There is a part of me that says, 'Gee, doesn't the NFL have enough money already?'" said Steve Holley, Immanuel's executive pastor. He pointed out that bars are still allowed to air the game on big-screens TV sets. "It just doesn't make sense." ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/31/AR2008013103958.html?hpid=topnews

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. the NFL is a fascist organization

the way they treat the fans and players borders on tyrannical.

[Yavin4]

2. Expect A Call from Paul Goddell

You will be fined for that post.

[hughee99]

3. According to the article, you can't show the game on anything larger

than a 55" screen. People are buying larger sets for their own homes. I understand the NFL not wanting people to charge admission to watch the game (unless you're a bar, then it seems to be okay), but WTF does it matter to them whether 400 people watch the game on 1 big TV or 400 people have parties at their homes and watch the game on 50 different sets? Unless you're a Nielson family (which could at least impact the ratings) what's the difference? I'm going to my friend's house tomorrow for the game. He has a huge TV, I'll have to let him know that if it's over 55", he's breaking the law. I'm sure he'll insist that the two of us go upstairs to watch the game on his more moderately sized set. :sarcasm:

Also, I've noticed that a number of big box stores have directly marketed bigger sets for the "big game", and it's definitely used in the sales pitch in December and January if the salesperson suspects you might be a football fan. I wonder if the NFL will ask them to stop marketing it this way, or force them to tell the consumer that they will be breaking the law if the watch the game on their new TV? I wonder how the NFL would fair in a lawsuit where Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, LG, Samsung, Sony, Best Buy, Sears, Circuit City and Walmart are on the other side of the table as opposed to the Immanuel Bible Church or the Fall Creek Baptist Church.

On edit: After thinking about it a little more, the NFL copyrights cover ALL NFL games, not just the superbowl, so if you own a big TV and like football, you've probably already violated their copyright.

[fishwax]

4. that doesn't apply to private residences

Public exhibitions can't be on screens bigger than 55 inches. I think your friend is in the clear :)

[hughee99]

5. Ah, my mistake, thanks.

After rereading it, I'm not sure how I could have misunderstood it. :)