The NFL faces a potential $6.1 billion payout in a class-action antitrust lawsuit over its agreement with DirecTV for “NFL Sunday Ticket.”
The lawsuit, filed in 2015, involves millions of subscribers alleging inflated prices.
A federal judge rejected the NFL’s motion to dismiss, ruling that the case must go to jury trial. (Trending: 2024 Miss America Winner Crowned)
According to the lawsuit, “2.4 million Sunday Ticket subscribers in the residential class and nearly 50,000 bars, restaurants, and other establishments in the commercial class.”
“Notwithstanding the complex contract law and even more complex business arrangement of the license to print money that is the NFL, at the heart of this case is a contention by plaintiffs from all over the country they were forced to pay inflated prices to the league to watch out of market games on [DirecTV’s] Sunday Ticket package,” according to Deadline.
U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez ruled that DirectTV charged “supracompetitive prices for Sunday Ticket because fans unwilling to pay for Sunday Ticket cannot, for example, purchase out-of-market games individually or by team.”
“This is the basis for Plaintiffs’ suit: Absent the agreements, the telecasts solely available on Sunday Ticket would be available through other means, which would result in a greater number of telecasts of NFL games that would be more accessible to more viewers at lower prices,” wrote Gutierrez.
Judge Gutierrez concluded, “Based on the record before the Court, a reasonable trier of fact could find that the alleged horizontal pooling of the member clubs’ telecast rights is an unreasonable restraint” on trade.
The issue revolves around whether the NFL’s agreements created an illegal monopoly.
The trial is set for February 22.
Additionally, the recent exclusive streaming of a playoff game on NBC’s Peacock service has sparked controversy among fans.
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