# Why can't the radio station give away "Super Bowl" tickets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845 "2004-01-16T21:52:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845/21 "2004-01-21T08:45:28Z")
> [@Qburn](#): > > There is only one Super Bowl, and that is the Super Bowl. I am the Super Bowl thy Super Bowl, and thou shalt not have any Super Bowls before me. Or beside me. Or behind me. Or any other place whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845/22 "2004-01-21T10:37:16Z")
I distinctly heard an ad the other day that mentioned the “NFL Championship Game.” ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845/23 "2004-01-21T14:10:39Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > “unfair competition” 😕 Why would they need to put that in there? Is there any actual competition? If anything I think it would _promote_ the Super **[BEEP]**. ---
**Author:** ![LemonThrower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LemonThrower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LemonThrower)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845/24 "2004-01-21T14:13:43Z")
Duckster has set out the rule, but the key here is the exception to the rule, as Ascenray notes. Most of the examples cited probably fall well within the fair use exception to the rights of the trademark owner. However, radio stations don’t want trouble and abide by the NFL’s requests, even if they may not be legally enforceable. Ambush marketing was a big problem during the 96 Olympics, and the NFL’s statements about this are accurate. However, the radio station example is probably fair use and not ambush marketing. ---
**Author:** ![slu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@slu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slu)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845/25 "2004-01-21T16:01:37Z")
Doesn’t Fox, NASCAR or some other network advertise the Daytona 500 as “The Super Bowl of Racing”? Wouldn’t the NFL get their panties in a bunch over that? ---
**Author:** ![Qburn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/bc79bd/32.png) [@Qburn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qburn)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845/26 "2004-01-21T17:04:09Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > I am the Super Bowl thy Super Bowl, and thou shalt not have any Super Bowls before me. Or beside me. Or behind me. Or any other place whatsoever. [Church of Monday Night Football](http://www.churchofmondaynightfootball.com/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845/27 "2004-01-21T17:36:55Z")
I’ve heard even sillier commercials on the radio here. One of the payday loan companies will on occasion give away concert tickets, but because they aren’t an official sponsor of the concerts they always say things like "come in and register and you could win tickets to hear the band that plays “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” or whatever song happens to apply. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-the-radio-station-give-away-super-bowl-tickets/224845.md?page=1)