Antitrust lawsuit against ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ could pay customers

Getty Image/Mike Coppola

The NFL is the most valuable sports league in the world and probably the most important cultural institution in the United States today. Millions of people buy NFL Sunday Ticket, an addition that allows fans to watch matches outside the stock exchange on Sundays every year.

But the antitrust lawsuit, which is expected to go to trial next month, alleges that the way the NFL and its partners, formerly DirecTV and now YouTube, NFL Sunday Ticket constitutes a violation of antitrust law.

Tyler Webb, podcast co-host Presence in your pocket on Wednesday with former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert, they made the case in a viral Twitter thread. This is the crux of his thread.

DEVELOPMENT: More than 2.4 million football fans who subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket could be eligible for more than $6 billion in compensation (~$2,500 each).

This is part of an antitrust case filed against the company #NFL and DirecTV in 2015.

Let’s break it down 👇

🧵1/8 pic.twitter.com/g5XTXgRkvm

— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) May 29, 2024

Context: This lawsuit alleged that “the teams’ exclusive packaging of off-market NFL ticket rights violates U.S. antitrust law and results in artificially high prices.”

(Behind @FOS)

2/8 pic.twitter.com/Xq4iZqOqyN

— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) May 29, 2024

To put it simply:

Teams should be able to individually sell rights to their games that are not on the market to reduce costs for their fans.

This way, fans will be able to simply pay to watch their favorite team, rather than the entire league.

This is the same team model used by the NBA and MLB.

3/8 pic.twitter.com/EMzFwW9nB7

— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) May 29, 2024

From June 5, the league authorities, including:

∙ Roger Goodell
∙ Jerry Jones
∙ Robert Kraft

He will testify in a case that could ultimately be decided this year. But who else is involved?

4/8 pic.twitter.com/eDJOQnQGuc

— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) May 29, 2024

He claims that a verdict for the plaintiffs could cost the NFL $6.1 billion, or almost $2,500 per subscriber! Webb also notes that the NFL could try to reach an agreement before the trial’s start date.

as NFL Sunday Ticket client, I can see how a verdict that forced the NFL to make the rights available to just one team for purchase instead of having to buy the entire package would be a big win for consumers. Honestly, I would say that a large percentage of people who buy a Sunday Ticket do so to watch just one team, their favorite team, when they live outside the area where their favorite team is located.

However, I think the NFL will want to fight tooth and nail to put all the games together. YouTube bought the rights to sell NFL Sunday Ticket AND Red zone starting last season after DirecTV, which had had the rights since Sunday Ticket began in 1994, was outbid. I can’t imagine they would be happy with a fundamental change to the way rights are sold.