A jury in U.S. District Courtroom has ordered the NFL to pay billions in damages to Sunday Ticket subscribers who filed a category motion lawsuit in opposition to the league, in accordance with a number of reviews. The NFL was ordered to pay $4 billion to residential subscribers and $96 million to industrial subscribers.
The lawsuit, filed 9 years in the past, mentioned the NFL broke antitrust legal guidelines. “NFL Sunday Ticket” subscribers accused the league, its groups and its community companions of working collectively to promote the out-of-market sports activities bundle at an inflated worth and prohibit competitors.
In an announcement, the NFL mentioned it should “contest” the choice.
“We’re disillusioned with the jury’s verdict immediately within the NFL Sunday Ticket class motion lawsuit,” the NFL mentioned in an announcement. “We will definitely contest this resolution as we consider that the category motion claims on this case are baseless and with out advantage. We thank the jury for his or her time and repair and for the steerage and oversight from Choose Gutierrez all through the trial.”
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What to find out about ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ case that would value the league billions
The NFL argued it might promote the viewing bundle underneath an antitrust exemption for broadcasting, whereas the plaintiffs have mentioned the exemption solely covers over-the-air broadcasts as a substitute of paid TV, in accordance with the AP.
Arguments started earlier this month within the trial, which featured testimony from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones.
The plaintiffs sought $7 billion in damages.
The unique grievance was filed on behalf of the Mucky Duck bar in San Francisco. Final 12 months, a district choose dominated the case might proceed as a category motion filed on behalf of greater than 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 companies that purchased the bundle from June 17, 2011, to Feb. 7, 2023, per the AP.
The NFL, its groups and community companions DirecTV, CBS, ESPN and Fox, are listed as defendants within the case.
(Photograph: Wealthy Graessle / Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)