NFL Wants $4.7 Billion "Sunday Ticket" Verdict Tossed

As Injury Claims previously reported, a California jury delivered a knockout blow to the NFL in June, awarding fans $4.7 billion for alleged anticompetitive practices surrounding its "Sunday Ticket" out-of-market package. However, the league isn't going down without a fight.

NFL Calls Verdict "Baseless," Blames Flawed Testimony and Calculations

On July 3rd, the NFL filed a motion challenging the verdict. They argue, according to Reuters, the $4.7 billion award is "baseless" and doesn't reflect the evidence presented at trial. The league specifically criticizes the testimony of two expert witnesses for the plaintiffs, claiming their methodology was flawed.

Additionally, the NFL takes aim at the jury's damage calculations, stating they unfairly used the full price of "Sunday Ticket" without considering subscriber discounts offered by DirecTV.

The NFL's motion goes beyond simply contesting the verdict. They warn that upholding this decision would have a ripple effect on the entire sports broadcasting industry. They argue it could "upend the current model" for content distribution and pricing, potentially leading to legal challenges against other leagues with similar out-of-market packages. 

Fans Push for Full $14 Billion Award, Court Hearing Looms

Meanwhile, lawyers representing millions of "Sunday Ticket" subscribers are pushing for the full $14 billion damage award allowed under federal antitrust law. This is because the law triples damages in such cases, Bloomberg Law reports.

The class action lawsuit centers on the NFL's exclusive deal with DirecTV for "Sunday Ticket" from 1994 to 2022. Plaintiffs argue this arrangement limited competition and inflated prices for fans.

The court is scheduled to hear arguments on the NFL's motion to toss the $4.7 billion verdict on July 31. Judge Philip S. Gutierrez will then decide whether to uphold the verdict, grant a new trial, or potentially overturn the jury's decision altogether.

READ MORE

• NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust Lawsuit: $4.8 Billion Verdict For Fans
• NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust Trial: Did You Pay Too Much?
  
  

Case Details

• Lawsuit: In re: National Football League’s “Sunday Ticket” Antitrust Litigation
• Case Number: 2:15-mdl-02668
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Marc M. Seltzer, Kalpana Srinivasan, Amanda Bonn, William C. Carmody, Seth Ard, Tyler Finn and Ian M. Gore (Susman Godfrey LLP)
• Scott Martin, Sathya S. Gosselin, Christopher L. Lebsock, Samuel Maida and Farhad Mirzadeh (Hausfeld LLP)
• Howard Langer, Edward Diver, Peter Leckman and Kevin Trainer (Langer Grogan & Diver PC)