A jury in U.S. District Court ordered the NFL to pay nearly $4.8 billion in damages Thursday after ruling that the league violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service.
The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages to the residential class and $96 million in damages to the commercial class.
The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons on DirecTV. The lawsuit claimed the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering 91裸聊视频淪unday Ticket91裸聊视频� only on a satellite provider.
The NFL said it would appeal the verdict. That appeal would go to the 9th Circuit and then possibly the Supreme Court.
91裸聊视频淲e are disappointed with the jury91裸聊视频檚 verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,91裸聊视频� the league said in a statement. 91裸聊视频淲e continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all NFL games broadcast on free over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams and national distribution of our most popular games, supplemented by many additional choices including RedZone, Sunday Ticket and NFL+, is by far the most fan friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment.
91裸聊视频淲e will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit.91裸聊视频�
The jury of five men and three women deliberated for nearly five hours before reaching its decision.
91裸聊视频淭his case transcends football. This case matters,91裸聊视频� plaintiffs attorney Bill Carmody said during Wednesday91裸聊视频檚 closing arguments. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 about justice. It91裸聊视频檚 about telling the 32 team owners who collectively own all the big TV rights, the most popular content in the history of TV 91裸聊视频� that91裸聊视频檚 what they have. It91裸聊视频檚 about telling them that even you cannot ignore the antitrust laws. Even you cannot collude to overcharge consumers. Even you can91裸聊视频檛 hide the truth and think you91裸聊视频檙e going to get away with it.91裸聊视频�
The league maintained it has the right to sell 91裸聊视频淪unday Ticket91裸聊视频� under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. The plaintiffs say that only covers over-the-air broadcasts and not pay TV.
DirecTV had 91裸聊视频淪unday Ticket91裸聊视频� from its inception in 1994 through 2022. The league signed a seven-year deal with Google91裸聊视频檚 YouTube TV that began with the 2023 season.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2015 by the Mucky Duck sports bar in San Francisco but was dismissed in 2017. Two years later, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over California and eight other states, reinstated the case. Gutierrez ruled last year the case could proceed as a class action.
