Super Bowl 2026
Trademark: Super Bowl
First Used: January 1967
First Registered: December 1969
Current Owner: NFL PROPERTIES LLC [1]
Trademark Type: traditional trademark; word mark; design mark
Primarily Associated With: entertainment services in the nature of football exhibitions [2]
Brief (and likely incomplete) History [3]:
Congratulations to the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks for advancing to the 2026 SUPER BOWL®! This week we will be highlighting some trademark registrations celebrating the NFL championship game, including those owned by the Patriots and the Seahawks. Good luck to both teams!
The Super Bowl began in the 1960s as a product of the rivalry between the National Football League (NFL) and the upstart American Football League (AFL), which was founded in 1960 by businessmen shut out of NFL ownership opportunities. Years of competition for players, fans, and television audiences pushed the leagues toward a merger, and in 1966 NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and AFL owner Lamar Hunt negotiated an agreement that paired the league champions in a postseason championship game ahead of full unification in 1970. Hunt informally suggested the name “Super Bowl” for the game, inspired by the popular Super Ball children’s toy. The first game in January 1967 was officially called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, but the nickname quickly stuck instead.
Kicking things off, SUPER BOWL® [4] is a registered word mark for entertainment services in the nature of football exhibitions, together with a host of other goods and services. NFL® [5], NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE® [6] (if you want to be formal), and the NFL Logo [7] are also registered trademarks for promoting the interests of member football clubs.
The Seattle Seahawks will be representing the NFC. Both NFC® [8] and NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE® [9] are registered word marks for promoting the interests of member football clubs. Similarly, the NFC LOGO [10] is a registered design mark for professional football games and exhibitions, among other goods and services.
The New England Patriots are back in the big game and will be representing the AFC. Both AFC® [11] and AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE® [12] are registered word marks for promoting the interests of member football clubs. The AFC Logo [13] is a registered design mark for professional football games and exhibitions, among other goods and services.
Both teams will be vying for the VINCE LOMBARDI TROPHY® [14], a registered word mark for promoting interest, excellence and sportsmanship in professional football through the medium of an annual award. The Vince Lombardi Trophy Logo [15] is also a registered design mark for the same services.
Interested in matchups from other years? Check out our post on the 2025 Super Bowl.
Interested in learning more about other 2026 sporting events? Check out our 2026 posts on the College Football National Championship and Team USA in the Winter Olympics.
Copyright © 2026 by Illustrated IP, LLC. All rights reserved.
[1] Super Bowl, NFL, https://www.nfl.com/super-bowl.
[2] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 882,283, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72321005&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[3] NFL History - Super Bowl Winners, ESPN, available at https://www.espn.com/nfl/superbowl/history/winners; The History of the Super Bowl, Organization of American Historians, available at https://www.oah.org/tah/extras/the-history-of-the-super-bowl/; Super Bowl History, PRO FOOTBALL REFERENCE, available at https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/.
[4] Id. at 2.
[5] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 886,055, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72322528&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[6] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,076,139, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73097011&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[7] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,056,303, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73065090&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[8] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,079,097, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73097014&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[9] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,076,664, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73097012&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[10] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 6,140,082, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=88705410&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[11] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,079,096, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73097010&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[12] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,092,963, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73097013&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[13] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,170,983, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85464865&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[14] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 983,550, AVAILABLE AT https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=72421171&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.
[15] USPTO, U.S. Trademark Registration No. 1,226,261, available at https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73356536&caseSearchType=US_APPLICATION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch.