After prohibiting a local Detroit realtor from hosting a Matthew Stafford jersey swap event, the NFL has intervened once more to prevent another fan experience. On Thursday, Emagine Entertainment canceled its Detroit Lions-Los Angeles Rams wild card game viewing party, which was set to begin at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The theater chain planned to offer fans the opportunity to watch the game for free at any of its eight Metro Detroit locations, which include Royal Oak, Rochester Hills, Novi, Canton Township, Saline, and Woodhaven, as well as the Riviera in Farmington Hills and the Quality 10 in Saginaw.
Emagine made the announcement on numerous of the company’s social media platforms, writing, “At the request of the NFL, Emagine is barred from organizing its planned viewing party at our locations. “We apologize to our guests.”
Fans had to purchase tickets for the event, which were available at theater box offices on a first-come, first-served basis, with a maximum of eight tickets per group. Theaters scheduled freebies during halftime, as well as special drink and snack offerings for guests.
Sunday’s wild card game at Ford Field will feature a number of storylines, including Matthew Stafford’s first game in Detroit since the 2021 trade that sent him to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and a few of draft picks. It will also be the Lions’ first playoff game at home since 1993, as well as the first in Detroit in nearly 70 years.
Emagine has organized football watch parties in the past, most recently on Monday. In collaboration with the Salt Lake City-based Theater Sports Network, Emagine and a number of other local theaters hosted a CFP National Championship watch party when No. 1 Michigan faced No. 2 Washington.
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