The NFL could find a way to skimp out on paying the $4.7 billion they were ordered to pay as part of their ‘Sunday Ticket’ suit.
A jury ruled against the league in a class action lawsuit in late June, with U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez ordering the payment of the aforementioned amount for residential class damages and a $96 million judgment for commercial class damages to fans and sports bars.
“We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,” the NFL said in a statement after the ruling.
“We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all NFL games broadcast on free over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams and national distribution of our most popular games, supplemented by many additional choices including RedZone, Sunday Ticket and NFL+, is by far the most fan-friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment.
“We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit. We thank the jury for their time and service and for the guidance and oversight from Judge Gutierrez throughout the trial.”
The NFL Might Return To Trial Over ‘Sunday Ticket’
As it turns out, Roger Goodell might not have to preside over such an outflow of money. According to the Associated Press’ Joe Reedy, the jury failed to follow instructions while determining the damages, and the league has filed a motion asking Gutierrez to rule in its favor if he discovers that the plaintiff’s case wasn’t proven.
The judge could also order a whole new trial if he finds that the jury did not calculate the damages properly.
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According to reports, he told members of the jury that “damages may not be based on guesswork or speculation. Plaintiffs must prove the reasonableness of each of the assumptions upon which the damages calculation is based.”
The suit involved 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the U.S.. It argued that the league infringed on antitrust laws by selling ‘Sunday Ticket’ to a provider that made it unnecessarily expensive for viewers.
The NFL countered by saying ‘Sunday Ticket’ is a premium service and should be treated like one, much to the distaste of fans.
