The jury awarded $4.6 billion to a residential
class, and $96 million to commercial subscribers such as bars
and restaurants, according to an attorney for the plaintiffs.
A judge could award triple damages under U.S. antitrust law,
bringing the total judgment to more than $14 billion.
The NFL in a statement said it was disappointed by the jury's
verdict. "We will certainly contest this decision as we believe
that the class action claims in this case are baseless and
without merit," it said.
The NFL earlier this week asked the court to rule for the league
and its teams as a matter of law, which could nullify the
verdict.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in a statement on Thursday said:
"We are pleased with today’s result on behalf of the classes we
represent."
The trial, which began on June 5, capped more than a decade of
litigation over the "Sunday Ticket" telecasts.
The subscribers accused the NFL of using agreements with
broadcast partners to keep a stranglehold over distribution,
allowing DirecTV to charge artificially higher prices as the
former sole distributor of "Sunday Ticket."
A residential subscription to "Sunday Ticket," which is the only
broadcast option for fans to watch out-of-market games, now
costs as much as $449 through its current distributor, Google's
YouTube. DirecTV and Google were not defendants in the trial.
DirecTV is owned by AT&T and Google is owned by Alphabet.
The plaintiffs claimed that "Sunday Ticket" prices were inflated
to limit subscriptions and protect distribution rights fees that
CBS and Fox paid to air games in local markets.
The NFL denied any wrongdoing and argued that "Sunday Ticket" is
a "premium" product that expands viewers' access to games, which
are already broadcast for free on local networks.
The plaintiffs are DirecTV subscribers who bought "NFL Sunday
Ticket" between June 2011 and February 2023. The case includes
at least 2.4 million residential customers and 48,000 commercial
subscribers like bars and restaurants, according to court
records.
(Reporting by Mike Scarcella in WashingtonEditing by David Bario
and Matthew Lewis) [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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