NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he and the league are “committed to following the litigation all the way and making sure that we get this right” in regards to the lawsuit filed against the league surrounding “NFL Sunday Ticket” nine years ago.
In late June, a jury in U.S. District Court ordered the NFL to pay billions in damages to the subscribers who filed the class action lawsuit. The NFL was ordered to pay $4.7 billion to residential subscribers and $96 million to commercial subscribers.
It could be liable for nearly $15 billion since damages could triple under federal antitrust laws.
“Well, we obviously disagree with the jury verdict and we are committed obviously to following the legal process,” Goodell told CNBC on Thursday. “It’s a long process. We’re aware of that, but we feel very strongly about our position, our policies, particularly on media, that we make our — our sport available to the broadest possible audience.”
In 2015, “NFL Sunday Ticket” subscribers sued the NFL alleging it broke antitrust laws, accusing the league, its teams and its network partners of working together to sell the out-of-market sports package at an inflated price and restricting competition.
“Plaintiffs claim that absent the allegedly anti-competitive agreements at issue, the telecasts available on ‘Sunday Ticket’ would be available through other means, which would result in more access to telecasts of NFL games at lower prices,” a summary of the case states.
Goodell defended the league’s broadcast model in his testimony, calling “NFL Sunday Ticket” a “premium product,” according to the AP.
“We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product,” he said. “Not just on pricing but quality. Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not. I’m sure there were fans who said it was too costly.”
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What to know about ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ case that could cost the league billions
Following the verdict, the NFL said in a statement it would “certainly” contest the ruling” as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit.”
The next step is a post-trial motion hearing on July 31, when the NFL will ask Judge Philip Gutierrez to set aside the verdict. According to Cornell Legal Information Institute, a verdict is set aside when a court renders a decision of another court to be invalid.
If the verdict is not set aside, the NFL will appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court. A petition to the Supreme Court could follow.
(Photo: Dustin Chambers / Bloomberg via Getty Images)