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The NFL has officially banned Beats headphones

Beats was purchased by Apple for $3 billion in August, 2014.

By Thor Benson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith dons his headset. (File/UPI/Archie Carpenter)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith dons his headset. (File/UPI/Archie Carpenter) | License Photo

NEW YORK, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Although Beats by Dre headphones are quite popular among NFL players and some coaches, they will no longer be seen on the field during television broadcasts.

The rule comes from the new Bose sponsorship for the NFL, which apparently included a clause that says only Bose can be worn by players and athletes who choose to listen to music on the sidelines, and Bose headsets will be used for communicating, Recode reports.

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Not only do players have to wear Bose on the field, they'll have to wear them during pre-season interviews and any other televised NFL event. They are even required to only wear Bose up to 90 minutes after the end of a game.

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

Bose filed a lawsuit against Beats in July for infringing on its patent on noise-cancelling headphones. That is only one of many examples, including the new NFL rules, that shows the rivalry between the two companies.

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