NFL Vows to Fight Back After Court Hands Them Brutal Verdict: They Owe Billions to Fans
If you’ve ever been a subscriber to the NFL’s pricey “NFL Sunday Ticket” package, you may be entitled to some money — but not if the league itself has anything to say about it.
“Sunday Ticket,” which gives fans access to every out-of-market NFL game, was found to have violated antitrust laws, according to ESPN.
The initial ruling came on June 27, when a jury in a Los Angeles U.S. District Court ordered the NFL to pay up after having breached antitrust laws.
“The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons on DirecTV,” ESPN reported.
The outlet further explained: “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 ‘Sunday Ticket’ only on a satellite provider.”
That verdict could prove to be a costly one for the league.
“The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages to the residential class and $96 million in damages to the commercial class,” ESPN reported. “Since damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws, the NFL could end up being liable for $14.39 billion.”
That eye-watering $14.39 billion figure clearly wouldn’t sit well with the NFL, and the league confirmed as much on Thursday.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to CNBC for a wide-ranging interview, but many were curious about what Goodell would have to say about that potential near-$15 billion pitfall.
“Well, we obviously disagree with the jury verdict, and we are committed obviously to following the legal process,” Goodell told the outlet. “It’s a long process.
“We’re aware of that, but we feel very strongly about our position, our policies, particularly on media, that we make our sport available to the broadest possible audience.
“‘Sunday Ticket’ is just a complimentary product. So we’re committed to following the litigation, all the way, and making sure that we get this right.”
The other intriguing parts of Goodell’s interview included global expansion and a change in NFL by-laws that would allow private equity groups to purchase NFL teams.
(Goodell seems bullish on both changes happening.)
According to ESPN, the next step of this legal quagmire will be a post-trial motion hearing on July 31.
The league will assuredly want this resolved before the new season kicks off on Sept. 5.
That evening, the reigning world champion Kansas City Chiefs will face off against a precocious Baltimore Ravens team.
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