"Breaking Down the NFL's $4.7 Billion 'Sunday Ticket' Lawsuit"

If you have acquired a "Sunday Ticket" package, it is important to pay attention. A federal judge has recently ruled that the NFL must pay $4.7 billion in residential class damages and $96 million in commercial class damages in the case related to the "Sunday Ticket." This class-action lawsuit has been progressing through the legal system for almost ten years since it was first filed in 2015. In essence, the plaintiffs claim that the NFL collaborated with its network partners to artificially increase the cost of "Sunday Ticket," which would be a violation of antitrust laws.

Following the court's ruling, the NFL has declared its intention to challenge the decision. According to ESPN, a hearing for post-trial motions, including one to overturn the verdict, is scheduled for July 31.

"We are disappointed with the jury's verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit," the league said in a statement. "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."

According to the Associated Press, this case covers every residential and commercial customer who subscribed to "Sunday Ticket" between 2012 and 2022, putting the class-action number at roughly 2.5 million people.