LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal jury has ordered the NFL to pay $4,707,259,944.64 in damages for violating antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service.
Numbers from June 27th ruling against the NFL The names of the defendants were included in the judgment form, which was posted on the case docket on Tuesday.
The lawsuit covers 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for the DirecTV package for out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons. The lawsuit alleges the league violated antitrust laws by overcharging the package. Subscribers also say the league is limiting competition by offering only the “Sunday Ticket” on the satellite provider.
A jury of five men and three women found the NFL liable for damages of $4,610,331,671.74 for the residential class (home subscribers) and $96,928,272.90 for the commercial class (business subscribers).
Since damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws, the NFL could end up liable for $14,121,779,833.92.
The damages will be distributed evenly among the 32 teams, meaning each team could owe $441.3 million.
During deliberations, the jury requested data on the number of participants each year in the class action, as well as the cost of each type of Sunday Pass subscription.
The jury also requested reports from four economists who testified on behalf of the plaintiffs and the NFL, but they were not admitted into evidence.
Judge Philip S. Gutierrez is scheduled to hear post-trial motions on July 31, including the NFL’s request to rule in the league’s favor by determining that the plaintiffs have not proven their case.
The NFL has announced it will appeal the ruling. The appeal will go to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and possibly the Supreme Court.
Payment of damages, any changes to the Sunday Ticket package and/or the ways in which the NFL broadcasts its Sunday afternoon games will be suspended until all appeals are completed.
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National Football League: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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