A breakthrough moment for Sunday Ticket

The United States’ $4.7 billion judgment against the National Football League over the costs of its “Sunday Ticket” broadcast package could change how games are distributed — if upheld.

The blockbuster June 27 judgment could be tripled under antitrust law to more than $14 billion, but the NFL said it will fight to overturn it as the decade-long legal battle enters its next phase. Here’s more on the case and what happens next.

WHAT IS THE CASE ABOUT? “Sunday Ticket” provides access to out-of-market NFL games, allowing fans to watch their team if the game is not broadcast locally on CBS or Fox. The subscriber plaintiffs said the league and its teams conspired to keep the “Sunday Ticket” price at an uncompetitively high level to maximize profit while protecting local broadcast contracts.

The plaintiffs sought about $7 billion in damages in federal court in Los Angeles. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TRIAL?

The NFL denied violating U.S. antitrust law during a three-week trial, defending what it described as a premium product at a proportionate price. The league argued that bundling television rights “promotes innovation and encourages, enhances and maintains high quality television programming.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was among the witnesses who testified in support of the league’s exclusive distribution model. On the second day of deliberations, the jury awarded $4.6 billion to a group of 2.4 million individual subscribers and $96 million to about 48,000 commercial subscribers, such as bars and restaurants, that purchased “Sunday Ticket” between 2011 and 2023, when it was distributed on DirectTV’s internet.

DirecTV did not go to trial, nor did Alphabet, whose YouTube TV currently owns the rights to Sunday Tickets. Can the judgment be overturned?

Yes. The NFL has already asked U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez to rule the league legally, arguing that the evidence does not support the plaintiffs’ antitrust claims. The decision, which could come in the next few weeks, would overturn the verdict if the judge sides with the NFL. If the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, the NFL’s appeal would go to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The appeals court likely won’t rule on the case until next year.

The two sides can still reach an agreement. WHAT’S NEXT FOR SUBSCRIBERS?

The ruling doesn’t make any immediate changes for fans. The plaintiff’s lawyers could ask the court to issue an injunction aimed at opening up competition to Sunday Ticket and lowering its price. For example, the plaintiffs argued that individual teams could negotiate their own broadcast deals for games out of market, given the high demand for professional football programming.

If the judgment is not overturned, class members will be in line to receive checks in the mail for their share of the award, though legal fees and other expenses will impact the total amount.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a feed.)