The NFL has received a $4.7 billion verdict in an antitrust class action lawsuit filed on behalf of residential and business customers who paid for their Sunday Ticket package on DirecTV from 2011 through 2022.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2015 by sports bar Mucky Duck, claimed that the league and its teams had conspired to give DirecTV an illegal monopoly on out-of-market games until YouTube took over, beginning with the 2023 season. The plaintiffs noted that other leagues distributed live out-of-market games through multiple providers rather than a single exclusive partner like the NFL, and argued during the case that the setup not only inflated the price of Sunday Ticket but also forced viewers to pay for games during weeks when their preferred team was not playing.
Court news reports During the trial, evidence showed that the NFL rejected offers for the package that would have made the offer cheaper, more flexible and available to millions of additional customers. Before YouTube snapped up the exclusive package it now sells for $349 a year, the report says an email from the NFL's director of media and business showed that ESPN proposed offering Sunday Ticket for $70 a year and allowing Fans purchase a package for a single team.
After a three-week trial, ESPN reports The jury deliberated for nearly five hours before reaching a decision. They awarded $96 million in damages to bars and restaurants and $4.7 billion to customers. according USA Todaywhich, if maintained, could triple under federal law.
An NFL statement provided to several media outlets said the league would appeal the decision. Reception sports reports that U.S. District Court Judge Philip S. Gutierrez, who dismissed the case in 2019 but later ruled it could proceed as a class action, could still throw out the verdict, and post-trial motions are scheduled for a hearing on July 31.
