Ready For Some Football? Five Tips on Hosting a Church Super Bowl Party.

January 11, 2019

Following this weekend’s games, fan excitement is mounting to see who will play in Super Bowl LIII on February 3rd. We may not know who will face off in Atlanta, but your church might be tossing around ideas for a viewing party, and it’s certainly not too early to get started on your game plan.

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest Sunday’s of the year, at least for pro football fans. So why not take the opportunity to turn it into a super Sunday for your church by opening your doors to the local community. Many churches use the Super Bowl as a dynamic opportunity to reach not only their congregation but also those who may not always make it to Sunday services.

We’ve put together five ideas that will help you host an enjoyable and meaningful party:

  • Extend invites beyond your congregation – This is a great time to invite a neighbor, co-worker or family member who doesn’t attend church. A viewing party provides a non-threatening and relaxing setting. An open atmosphere can help nurture relationships and deepen friendships. You may want to consider inviting someone who is homeless or having a difficult time in their life. What a great way to share your blessings.
  • Big screens can be a big draw – If your church has a big screen, that can be a real draw to invite friends to watch the event at your church building. And, the NFL is OK with showing it on a big screen if it is equipment used all the time and not rented just for the party.
  • Provide crowd-pleasing game day snacks & refreshments – You could ask guests to bring snacks and drinks, but it might be better to express hospitality by providing all the food and drinks. Don’t forget plates, cups, and utensils, and you’ll have everything you need for a great outreach party.
  • Use halftime as inspiration – Provide some type of entertainment during the halftime show. Sports Spectrum, the top Christian sports magazine in the country, develops a Super Bowl halftime video every year. Football Sunday is a free event that can be used as a sermon or halftime show replacement. On Super Sunday 2019, players from the season’s championship teams as well as other pro-football players will share the love and truth of Jesus.
  • Don’t be blindsided by copyright issues – The NFL does not block religious organizations from hosting Super Bowl viewing parties. There are some important rules, however, to follow to side-step possible copyright infringement:
    • Churches must show the game live on equipment they use in the course of ministry at their premises; recordings of the show are not permitted.
      Churches cannot charge admission for the party. The NFL has stated, however, that churches may take up a donation to defray the cost of the event.
    • It’s advisable for churches to call the event a “big game” party rather than a “Super Bowl” party, as both the “NFL” and “Super Bowl” are trademarked and protected intellectual property.
    • There are several elements of intellectual property rights involved in the Super Bowl, which falls under both Copyright and Trademark protection. This gives the National Football League (NFL) ownership of the rights to the text, images, photographs, video, audio, graphics, user interface, and other content provided on their services, and the selection, coordination, and arrangement of such content. This also gives them the rights to the product names, company names, trade names, logos, product packaging, and designs. Any non-official of the NFL who is advertising or transmitting any of this content is viable to infringement.

If you have any questions regarding the Super Bowl and your church viewing party, call us at 855-576-5837, live chat right here from our website, or send us an e-mail.

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