Jury orders the NFL to pay damages for violating antitrust laws in distributing Sunday afternoon games.
A U.S. District Court jury has ordered the NFL to pay almost $4.8 billion in damages after determining the league violated antitrust regulations in the distribution of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games through a premium subscription service. The lawsuit, which involves 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses that paid for the package between the 2011 and 2022 seasons on DirecTV, accused the NFL of inflating prices for the “Sunday Ticket” package and limiting competition by offering it exclusively via satellite.
Of the total damages, $4.7 billion is to be paid to the residential class, with $96 million awarded to the commercial class. The NFL has announced its intention to appeal the verdict, with plans to challenge the decision in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and possibly the Supreme Court. The league maintains that its media distribution model, which includes free over-the-air broadcasts and various subscription services, offers the most fan-friendly approach in sports and entertainment. The jury, which deliberated for nearly five hours, reached its verdict on Thursday.