The NFL has been found guilty in an antitrust class action suit brought about by Sunday Ticket subscribers, both individuals and businesses. The jury has ordered the NFL to pay $96 million in damages to commercial class and $4.7 billion in damages to the residential class, per Meghan Cuniff. But, under antitrust laws, that number would be tripled to over $14 billion if the league ends up losing their appeal.
NFL says in a statement that it will “certainly contest” today’s decision in the Sunday Ticket trial. pic.twitter.com/mt7gLNmloO
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) June 27, 2024
The lawsuit was based on the subscribers believing the league broke antitrust laws by selling their out of market games at an inflated price with the DirectTV Sunday Ticket package. The jury agreed with the plaintiffs in this case, but this case could end up going to the Supreme Court, so a settlement is nowhere near happening at this point.
The NFL will try to get the case thrown out on July 31st, when Judge Philip Gutierrez will hear post-trial motions. Gutierrez has let it be known that he doesn’t like the plaintiff’s case, per Cuniff, so there is a chance the league could still come out on top, but the verdict will make it tougher for the judge to throw the case out now.