The NFL Bans Players From Wearing Beats by Dre On Camera

Earlier this year professional soccer players playing in the World Cup were forced to not wear Beats Headphones while they were in the various soccer stadiums after Sony signed an exclusive deal with FIFA. Now something similar has happened in the U.S. after the NFL signed an exclusive deal with Bose Headphones. This comes as another major blow to Beats By Dre because if you’ve seen any commercial for the headphones lately then you know they are filled with superstar athletes like Colin Kaepernick who has become synonymous with beats and Richard Sherman.

“The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit branded exposure on-field or during interviews unless authorized by the league. These policies date back to the early 1990s and continue today,” an NFL spokesperson said in a statement. “They are the NFL’s policies – not one of the league’s sponsors, Bose in this case. Bose is not involved in the enforcement of our policies. This is true for others on-field.”

The enforcement of this new ban begins before the opening kickoff on game days and last up to 90 minutes after the game is over. Players are not allowed to wear Beats by Dre on the sidelines during the game, in the locker room or on the podium after the games have concluded. Heres what a spokesman from Beats had to say:

“Over the last few years athletes have written Beats into their DNA as part of the pre-game ritual. Music can have a significant positive effect on an athlete’s focus and mental preparedness and has become as important to performance as any other piece of equipment.”

Beats, which Apple bought for $3 billion earlier this year, holds a large share of the “premium” headphones market at approximately 61% of the marketshare. On the other hand, Bose is far away from that number at a distant 22%. This move looks to close the massive gap between the competitors, but we will have to wait and see how this plays out before knowing how effective the marketing tactic will be.