Church 'Super Bowl' festivities may go on

Church 'Super Bowl' festivities may go on
NFL says just don't charge admission fees to parties
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Posted: February 2, 2007
5:00 p.m. Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Churches across the U.S. planning Super Bowl parties Sunday, as the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears meet in the 41st edition of the classic first won by the Green Bay Packers, have been given sweeping permission by the NFL to go ahead – just as long as no admission fees are charged.

A dispute arose several days ago in the Midwest when the NFL sent a letter to one church based on its website advertisement for a "Super Bowl Party." That letter to Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis said the church couldn't use the words "Super Bowl," it couldn't charge admission, it couldn't use its projection screen for the game, and a number of other things.

Those limits, coupled with the fact no church felt willing to take on a financial behemoth like the National Football League in court, sparked a series of cancellations of those parties.

"We regret to inform you that we have had to cancel our bash to view the Colts game this Sunday in a family friendly environment due to the fact that the NFL believes we would be in violation of the Copyright Act, because we had planned to show the game on a screen bigger than a 55 inch diagonal," said a website statement from Pastor John D. Newland of Fall Creek Baptist.

However, a written statement given to WND by the NFL late today made no mention of many of those restrictions. It was attributed only to "an NFL spokesman."

"The National Football League has absolutely no objection to churches and others hosting Super Bowl viewing parties as long as they do not charge admission and show the game on a television of the type commonly used at home.
"We are simply following copyright law and have done so with regard to any type of commercial establishment including hotels, theatres, museums, schools, arenas and others.

"This is nothing new. It is a matter of longstanding policy and the law.

"We have no rules that relate to viewing at home on any type of television."

NFL officials, after the statement was released, could not be reached by WND for any elaboration.

Earlier, they forwarded to WND their "Policy On The Public Performance Of Game Broadcasts," which expressed the league's "exclusive" ownership of the games and broadcasts.

The policy also describes the "homestyle exemption," which allows that in certain circumstances "conduct that otherwise violates the public performance right is deemed noninfringing. Specifically, 17 U.S.C. Paragraph 110(5)(A) provides that performance of a televised game will be excused if such performance is 'on a single receiving apparatus of a kind commonly used in private homes, unless (1) a direct charge is made to see or hear the transmission; or (2) the transmission thus received is further transmitted to the public.'"

The NFL policy notes that the league doesn't object to having games played on a single television receiver, "set up in a room or bar, provided payment is not a condition of entry."

Elaborate performances, such as those using a movie theater with multiple, oversized television monitors and entry fees would, however, cause objections.

Pastor Mark Miller, of Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, said his church's party was cancelled, but when he heard from WND the NFL was committed to being flexible, said it would depend on whether the youth ministry team could re-group – again – that fast.

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