The NFL has been ordered to fork billions out in payouts after a Los Angeles jury sided with the plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit involving the league’s ‘Sunday Ticket’ service.
Commissioner Roger Goodell testified last week, arguing that ‘Sunday Ticket’ is a premium service and should be treated like one.
However, he couldn’t get a jury to agree with him.
According to Front Office Sports, which cites legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, the league must pay $4.7 billion to fans who signed up for the streaming service, as well as an additional $96 million to sports bars claiming they were overcharged for the subscription.
ESPN Wanted To Offer ‘Sunday Ticket’ At An Affordable Price
The pertinent lawsuit claimed the NFL inflated the ‘Sunday Ticket’ prices by selling it to YouTube instead of platforms that would have made it more affordable.
YouTube currently charges $349 for a yearly subscription, but ESPN proposed a deal that would have seen them offer it at $70 while adding single-team packages.
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Despite arguments from Goodell and other NFL officials, the jury decided that the prices violated antitrust law.
Also Read: Report Reveals Insane Price YouTube Paid For “NFL Sunday Ticket” Rights
Judge Philip Gutierez, who oversaw the case, had threatened to throw it out, claiming the plaintiffs made it more complicated than it should have been.
“The way you have tried this case is far from simple,” he told their lawyers. “This case has turned into 25 hours of depositions and gobbledygook. … This case has gone in a direction it shouldn’t have gone.”
Still, they secured a major win, although the NFL is expected to appeal the decision and, if necessary, take it to the U.S. Supreme Court.
