A federal judge on Thursday overturned a $4.7 billion jury verdict against the NFL in the “Sunday Ticket” lawsuit, ruling in favor of the league. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez found that flawed methodologies from the plaintiffs’ witnesses rendered the jury’s decision invalid.
The class-action lawsuit, filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers, alleged that the NFL violated antitrust laws by distributing out-of-market games exclusively through DirecTV. The June jury verdict had awarded damages to millions of residential and commercial subscribers, but Gutierrez ruled that the testimonies of economists Dr. Daniel Rascher and Dr. John Zona should have been excluded.
The NFL expressed gratitude for the ruling, emphasizing its media distribution model offers fans diverse options. The decision marks another victory for the league in a legal battle that began in 2015, although plaintiffs may appeal.
Previously, the lawsuit was dismissed in 2017 before being reinstated by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2019. The case questioned the economic impact of “Sunday Ticket” exclusivity and whether alternative distribution models would have been feasible without an additional subscription.
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