NFL Signs Sponsorship Deal With Bose: Bans Beats Headphones On Camera

Over the last few years, Beats headphones have made their way into the unofficial uniforms of professional athletes. Watch any NFL player warm up on the field before a game, and he's probably got a pair of Dr. Dre's cans on his head. But now that the National Football League has signed a major sponsorship deal with Bose, that's all about to change.

SF’s #FrankGore getting in the zone before today’s battle with Philly. #ninerbeats #beatsbydre pic.twitter.com/V1vDlNSVja

— Beats By Dre (@beatsbydre) September 28, 2014

The NFL announced this weekend that it has come to an agreement with Bose and, going forward, it is going to ban all Beats headphones – and all other non-Bose brands, for that matter – from appearing on screen during all interviews and game broadcasts. On game days, the ban begins during warm-ups and extends until 90 minutes after the final whistle.

A spokesperson for Dre's company released a statement to Recode.net regarding the new rules.

"Over the last few years athletes have written Beats into their DNA as part of the pre-game ritual," the spokesperson said. "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."

The league released a statement on Saturday defending the decision and explaining that it has always enforced its strict branding rules.

"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, according to Recode. "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."

Not even 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, who is sponsored by Beats, is immune from the ban. He and the rest of the league - including coaches - can wear whatever they want to a certain extent, but once they're on camera, the Beats have to come off.