Sunday Gatherings: NFL To Allow Super Bowl Parties At Churches

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated in a letter to U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) that the league "would not object to 'live showings -- regardless of screen size -- of the Super Bowl' by religious organizations," according to Jacqueline Salmon of the WASHINGTON POST. Goodell wrote that the NFL will implement the policy "starting with next year's Super Bowl." The league's previous policy stated organizations "that host public viewings of its games on television screens larger than 55 inches violate its copyright." Last year the NFL "sent letters to two churches advising them of the policy." Goodell said that the league would not object to the church viewings "as long as showings are free and are on premises that the church uses on a 'routine and customary' basis." Hatch had proposed introducing legislation allowing "houses of worship to show football games on big-screen televisions" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/21).