The NFL is reportedly implementing a new rule that bans all players from wearing Beats by Dre headphones during games and on the sidelines. According to Recode, the NFL landed a deal with Bose back in August to make them the "official sound of the NFL."
However, players were still seen during warmups and on the sidelines wearing the popular Apple headphones. As part of a new agreement, the NFL is requiring players to remove Beats headphone from the field anytime cameras are around. They are also banning the use of Apple tablets, Rolling Stone reports.
The new plan will be affect during all games, as well as pre-season training caps and practice sessions. It also extends to pre-game and post-game interviews in the locker room up to 90 minutes after the final call, The Verge reports.
"The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit banded 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 told the 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."
According to the Recode, the new deal with the NFL and Bose won't affect promotional deals some players already have with Beats. Colin Kaepernick is one of the most popular football stars who endorse Beats.
Bose has already signed Russell Wilson and Clay Matthews to wear their headphones. Beats, which is one of the most popular headphones for athletes, released a statement to Recode saying, "Over the last few years athletes have written Beats into the DNA as part of the pre-game ritual," the statement read. "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."
