NFL Defends ‘Sunday Ticket’ as Bonus in $21 Billion Antitrust Lawsuit

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league’s “Sunday Ticket” package as a premium product during his Monday testimony in federal court as part of a class-action lawsuit alleging antitrust violations.

According to the Associated Press, Goodell emphasized the quality and premium nature of the product, stating: “Fans make this choice whether they want to or not. “I’m sure there were fans who said it was too expensive.”

Goodell testified for nearly four hours as the trial entered its third week. The lawsuit, covering 2.4 million individual subscribers and 48,000 businesses, alleged that the NFL sold its “Sunday Ticket” package at inflated prices and restricted competition by offering it only through a satellite provider.

“We have been clear that this is a premium product. Not only in terms of price, but also in terms of quality,” Goodell repeated during a hearing in a Los Angeles courtroom. This is Goodell’s first testimony in federal court since he became commissioner in 2006.

The plaintiffs claim the NFL violated antitrust laws by maintaining that the league’s exemption applies only to over-the-air broadcasts, not pay television. If found liable, the NFL could face damages of up to $21 billion as antitrust cases could triple damage awards, according to the Associated Press.

The trial also revealed internal concerns among networks like Fox and CBS about the impact of a more widely distributed “Sunday Ticket” on local game viewing. Former CBS Sports president Sean McManus noted in a memo that the network has always viewed these packages as premium, thus limiting their distribution.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who testified after Goodell, supported the league’s centralized broadcast model even as he acknowledged that teams like the Cowboys could benefit financially from selling their own rights off the market. “I’m convinced I would make a lot more money than the Bengals,” Jones said, adding: “I’m totally against any team making a TV deal. This is flawed.”

Jones’ testimony will continue Tuesday, and McManus is also expected to take the stand.