NFL players and coaches that are fans of Apple-owned company Beats Audio’s high-end headphones would be best advised to leave them at home come game day.
News broke today that the NFL has issued a new policy banning the use of Beats headphones by its employees while on broadcast television, reports Re/code. The decision was based off of a new major sponsorship deal the NFL signed with Beats rival Bose, a company that’s been a “household” brand name for years when it comes to high-end consumer speakers.
The ban actually extends beyond just Beats headphones, but rather to all of Bose’s competitors, according to the report. More specifically, the NFL doesn’t want non-Bose products worn or in view while TV cameras are rolling during games, interviews, and other kinds of promotional activity.
Why cause such a fuss over one partnership? Well, this particular sponsor could be quite valuable to the NFL. For instance, the previous major NFL headphone sponsor Motorola spent millions as part of its deal, as The Verge points out.
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So if you’re wondering why there is a lack of diversity among headphone brands on televised NFL programming, now you know why.
Via Re/code.
