N.F.L. Ordered to Pay $5 Billion in Sunday Ticket Lawsuit

The Verdict on N.F.L.’s Sunday Ticket Lawsuit

The N.F.L. has been ordered to pay nearly $5 billion in damages for manipulating the price of Sunday Ticket, an exclusive subscription service provided by DirecTV for broadcasting out-of-market games. A federal jury in Los Angeles reached this decision after a lengthy class-action trial that lasted for a month, bringing an end to almost a decade of legal disputes.

The verdict includes approximately $96 million in damages for the bars and restaurants that were subscribers to the service, and more than $4.6 billion for around 2.4 million residential customers. In antitrust cases like this, damages are tripled by law, potentially raising the total amount the league has to pay to over $14 billion.

The awarded damages align closely with what the plaintiffs’ legal team had been seeking, prompting Bill Carmody, one of the lawyers, to express satisfaction, stating, “It’s a great day for consumers everywhere.” However, the N.F.L. is expected to challenge the decision, with Brian McCarthy, a league spokesman, asserting, “We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit.”

U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez, who had openly criticized the plaintiffs’ lawyers during the trial, will preside over post-trial motions next month. There is a possibility that he could rule the jury’s decision as inappropriate. Additionally, an appeals court might intervene to adjust the amount of damages set.

Despite these potential avenues for review, the verdict presents a significant financial risk for the league, which has achieved a $20 billion status largely due to its lucrative media agreements.