Here’s Why Companies Can’t Say ‘Super Bowl’ in Their Super Bowl Ads

By now, you’ll have likely seen plenty of commercials advertising the Feb. 9 Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. But there’s a second kind of Super Bowl ad you might have seen, too: the kind that isn’t allowed to say “Super Bowl.”

The National Football League (NFL) trademarked the term “Super Bowl” in 1969, and they reportedly aren’t afraid to send cease-and-desist letters to anybody using the term, or any of their other trademarks, without permission. That means brands which aren’t willing to pay the big bucks to use the term have to come up with creative alternatives instead. It’s why you might hear many commercials call it “The Big Game.” Interestingly, the NFL also tried to trademark that phrase in 2006, but withdrew the request after pushback.

The tight regulations are part of the reason why the NFL’s ad space for the game—which is viewed by millions—is so lucrative. This year, ads reportedly sold for north of $8 million, according to Variety.

According to social media marketing agency The Motherhood, the NFL’s strict enforcement of its trademark is also to avoid “confusion” among sponsors. “They [the NFL] want to eliminate any false conception that something could be associated or sponsored by their organization,” the agency explained.

Read More: The Best Super Bowl Ads of 2025 

In the past, the rules have led to awkward workarounds, such as Stephen Colbert’s “Superb Owl,” a long-running joke from when he was hosting The Colbert Report, poking fun at the NFL’s habit of tightly guarding the Super Bowl trademark.

How brands are working around the "Super Bowl" restriction in 2025

Angel Soft’s commercial shows Fox Sports analyst Charissa Thompson wondering why former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is not seated yet for “the game.” What with Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, though, there’s no confusion about what that game might be.

Coors Light’s 2025 Super Bowl commercial also depends on the viewer knowing what “the game” is referring to. The beverage company uses animated sloths to advertise beer to those having “a case of the Mondays” after the “game last night.”

Irish actor Barry Keoghan has also starred in a “Big Game commercial,” spoofing his hit 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin, rather than a “Super Bowl” ad this year for Squarespace.

This comes after Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese directed a “Big Game commercial” for Squarespace last year.