Tech

49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick Flouts Beats Ban, Gets Fined

Dawn Chmielewski
WATCH LIVE
Colin Kaepernick
Getty Images

In a gesture of defiance, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick donned pink Beats by Dre headphones at a press conference following Sunday's victory — and got slapped with a fine for flouting the league's ban on the headgear.

As Re/code reported Saturday, the NFL has an exclusive marketing agreement with Bose that effectively bans other manufacturers' headphones during televised interviews.

More from Re/code:
What newspapers think gay marriage looks like
Spiegal and Bloomberg on sexting and dealing with the haters
What is Gamergate, and why is Intel so afraid of it?

The ban extends to interviews conducted during training camp, practice and on game day, from kickoff to post-game, until 90 minutes after play has ended.

Tweet from @beatsbydre

Kaepernick, who has been featured in Beats ads, showed up at Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs wearing the pink Beats to promote breast cancer awareness.

Read More RadioShack hoping for a Christmas miracle

Kaepernick told ESPN the league fined him $10,000 for wearing the headphones during his interview. An NFL spokesperson didn't respond to requests seeking comment, and a team spokesperson declined comment.

Beats was acquired by Apple earlier this year in a $3 billion deal.

CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Re/code's parent Revere Digital, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.