The Future of NFL's Sunday Ticket Package Hangs in the Balance

The Future of NFL’s Sunday Ticket Package Hangs in the Balance

The NFL is facing a major setback after a jury verdict found its out-of-market Sunday Ticket package to be an antitrust violation. The verdict, which amounts to a staggering $14 billion, has sent shockwaves throughout the sports industry. While the NFL remains confident of overturning the verdict on appeal, the legal process is far from over.

General overall view of the NFL Shield logo at midfield at MetLife Stadium

The league has been in similar situations before. In 2011, a federal district court judge overturned the NFL lockout, only for an appeals court to stay that ruling. Similarly, in 2015, a federal district judge ruled in favor of Tom Brady in his lawsuit over his DeflateGate suspension, but an appeals court later overturned that decision. The NFL is hoping for a similar outcome in this case.

However, the jury’s verdict has raised questions about the future of the Sunday Ticket package. The package, which has been offered by DirecTV since 1994, has been criticized for its high prices and limited availability. The jury heard testimony that the NFL and DirecTV kept prices artificially high and rejected options to make single teams or standalone games available.

“In a 1977 antitrust case, Illinois Brick v State of Illinois, the Supreme Court established the indirect purchaser rule,” explained Jodi Balsam, a former NFL lawyer and professor of sports law at Brooklyn Law School. “It generally prevents indirect purchasers from suing for damages. Recovery is limited to the party that actually sold the product to the consumer. So under that rule, plaintiffs should be able to sue only DirecTV and not the NFL.”

The verdict has also sparked concerns about the impact on the NFL’s broadcast partners, who have long viewed Sunday Ticket as cannibalizing their audiences. If the pricing structure is forced to change, it could conflict with the league’s broadcast contracts.

![Roger Goodell](_search_image Roger Goodell) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testifying in court

The trial, which began on June 6, featured in-person testimony from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and former CBS Sports boss Sean McManus. Their testimony, along with documents produced at the trial, showed the NFL turning down options to make the out-of-market package more broadly distributed and cheaper.

The NFL had argued that Sunday Ticket is an offshoot of its broadcast contracts, which are immune from antitrust scrutiny because of the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act. However, the jury did not buy that reasoning.

The judge in the case must now handle post-trial motions, after which the NFL can appeal. The first stop would be the Ninth Circuit, and if the league fails there, then a bid for the Supreme Court.

![NFL Sunday Ticket](_search_image NFL Sunday Ticket) The future of the NFL Sunday Ticket package hangs in the balance

The verdict has significant implications for the NFL and its fans. Will the league be forced to change its pricing structure? Will fans finally be able to purchase single teams or standalone games? Only time will tell.