NFL Bans Beats by Dre Headphones

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman will need to change their headphone habits from now on. The NFL and Bose have secured a deal that will prohibit the use of Beats by Dre headphones, as well as other headphone manufacturers, while players appear on camera and other football-related activities. As Sporting News points out, the restriction of other headphone usage includes preseason training camps, practice sessions, game day, post-game interviews, and it remains in place until 90 minutes after the game has ended. Hence, don’t expect Kaepernick and Sherman warming up while sporting a pair of Beats on the field anytime soon. Both of these players have appeared in Beats by Dre commercials.

The NFL, which enforces the terms of the agreement with Bose, commented on the practice.

“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. “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.”

According to Re/code, Beats, which was recently acquired by Apple, issued a statement, saying that its headphones have become part of the pre-game preparations:

“Over the last few years athletes have written Beats into their DNA as part of the pre-game ritual,” a Beats 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.”

If you may recall, this isn’t the first time athletes have been forced to remove their headphones during official events. During the FIFA World Cup, players were only allowed to wear Sony headphones although Neymar Jr. was featured in a Beats commercial.