False Start: NFL Puts a Stop to Super Bowl Party at Cranston's Park Theatre

The NFL has thrown a penalty flag and it landed at the intersection of Pontiac and Park Avenues in Cranston.

A free-admission Super Bowl party planned at the historic Park Theatre on Sunday has been cancelled after the NFL caught wind of the event and “informed the theatre that due to the league’s copyright regulations and their ‘out of home’ viewing policies, it will not be allowed to show Super Bowl XLIX,” according to a Park Theatre press release.

The theater had “no choice” but to cancel the event and the theater “wishes to express a heartfelt apology and disappointment for any inconveniences caused by this unfortunate circumstance.”

Even though the theatre would not have charged admission for guests to watch the game on the theatre’s big high definition screen, the NFL prohibits mass viewings out of private homes in almost all cases except sports bars and other places where their primary business is to televise sports.

The folks at the Park Theatre aren’t alone.

In 2007, the NFL notified a number of churches that they could be sued for violating the league’s policies with Super Bowl parties.

The NFL has since backed off on chasing parties at churches, but they still vigilantly enforce their policies in regards to private businesses and other organizations.

In promoting the event, the theatre’s executive director Yusuf Gandhi said they were excited about offering a family-friendly venue to watch the game.

“We are very excited to open the Park on Super Bowl Sunday so football fans, along with their entire families, can enjoy the game in a way they never have before,” he said.

And if you’re having a Super Bowl party this weekend, just be sure you don’t charge admission to your friends. It is OK, however, to ask them to bring food or drinks in exchange for admission to the party.

Why does the NFL go after larger Super Bowl parties outside of private homes? Ratings. NFL officials have said that it must honor contracts with TV networks that provide the game and is trying to guard its trademarks. At the same time, the NFL and networks are acutely aware that the Nielsen ratings system doesn’t count televisions outside of private homes. With billions in advertising dollars being spent on Super Bowl Sunday, the league is motivated to ensure the maximum number of televisions are turned on during the game.