NFL Ordered to Pay $4.7 Billion in Sunday Ticket Antitrust Lawsuit
Jury Rules Against League for Inflating Prices
Verdict Follows Lengthy Court Battle
The NFL has been ordered to pay nearly $4.7 billion in damages for antitrust violations surrounding its Sunday Ticket package. A jury found that the league conspired to inflate prices for the out-of-market sports viewing package, which provides access to NFL regular-season games not available on local television affiliates.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of residential and commercial customers, alleged that the NFL and its network partners violated antitrust rules by limiting competition and driving up prices for Sunday Ticket. The jury agreed with the plaintiffs' arguments, concluding that the league's actions harmed consumers.
The NFL has announced plans to contest the decision, calling the claims "baseless." The league argues that it has the right to sell Sunday Ticket under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. However, the plaintiffs argue that this exemption only covers over-the-air broadcasts, not streaming services like Sunday Ticket.
The verdict is a significant victory for consumers and a major blow to the NFL. It remains to be seen whether the league will be able to overturn the decision on appeal. In the meantime, the NFL has been ordered to pay $96 million to commercial Sunday Ticket subscribers and $4.7 billion to residential subscribers.
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