Steve Sarkisian on expectations for Texas football after CFP season
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Being a fan of an NFL team is expensive if you’ve purchased the “Sunday Ticket” broadcast package.
After a looming legal battle, paying customers might finally catch a break.
A jury in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California ordered the NFL to pay more than $4.7 billion in damages Thursday after ruling that the league violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on “Sunday Ticket,” a premium subscription service.
Here is what to know about the jury ruling against the NFL in this suit.
NFL Sunday Ticket lawsuit
The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages to residential subscribers and $96 million to commercial “Sunday Ticket” subscribers. Under federal antitrust laws, these damages can be tripled, potentially making the NFL liable for up to $14.39 billion.
The jury determined the league violated antitrust laws by exclusively selling “Sunday Ticket” through DirecTV at an inflated price. This limited the subscriber base, addressing CBS and Fox’s concerns about maintaining local ratings while allowing the NFL to earn substantial revenue from its broadcast rights.
How much is the NFL Sunday Ticket package?
The NFL Sunday Ticket package is now available on YouTube TV. DirecTV lost its 28-year hold on “Sunday Ticket” for consumers when Google secured a seven-year deal with the NFL to sell the package via YouTube.
Prices vary depending on the provider.
For YouTube TV, the package costs:
- NFL Sunday Ticket: Around $349 for the season.
- NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone: Around $389 for the season.
For YouTube Primetime channels:
- NFL Sunday Ticket: Around $449 for the season.
- NFL Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone: Around $489 for the season.
Plaintiffs in the NFL Sunday Ticket lawsuit
According to the lawsuit, more than 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses were affected by the “Sunday Ticket” package. The businesses involved are bars and restaurants that purchased “NFL Sunday Ticket” from June 17, 2011, to Feb. 7, 2023.
Sports bars need the NFL Sunday Ticket to air live games, but costs for the subscription package can be crippling for smaller businesses, according to business writer Joe Pompliano.
“Commercial buyers of the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” package (think: bars and restaurants) have to pay between $6,000 and $78,000 annually for the service, depending on the size of the venue,” he said. “And bar owners have long talked about how the package of games makes it difficult for small businesses to turn a profit.”
Will Texans get paid for the NFL Sunday Ticket lawsuit?
While the jury did award subscribers of the NFL “Sunday Ticket” package, the NFL plans to appeal the judgment.
“We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit,” the league said. “We thank the jury for their time and service and for the guidance and oversight from Judge [Philip] Gutierrez throughout the trial.”
Post-trial motions, including one to overturn the verdict, will be heard on July 31. If the verdict stands, the NFL plans to appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
If the NFL is ultimately required to pay damages, each of the 32 teams could face a cost of approximately $449.6 million.
When did the NFL Sunday Ticket lawsuit start?
According to ESPN, the lawsuit was originally filed in 2015 by the Mucky Duck sports bar in San Francisco but was dismissed in 2017. Two years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over California and eight other states, reinstated the case.