Jury orders NFL to pay nearly $4.8 billion in 'Sunday Ticket' case for violating antitrust laws

[kskboys]

That does not excuse breaking anti-monopoly laws.

You never fail to have a bad take on pretty much any topic.

Terrible take, like not even about the subject.

 

[FLWarpigrpig]

Federal law automatically triples the verdict.

"The judge could still throw it out. He could potentially reduce it. Regardless, for now, it’s $14.088 billion. That’s $440.25 million per team."

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...y-ticket-verdict-is-4-696-billion-times-three

 

[erod]

The law just doesn't mean anything anymore. Courts just keep inventing crap for whatever ruling they feel like.

Nobody was forced to buy this. The league has a right to its broadcast rights. Nobody was harmed here.

So does Apple break the law by being the only service to show Ted Lasso?

 

[coult44]

Expect ticket prices to increase even more. The NFL has to make up for that lost revenue somehow.

And that’s what people don’t get. If the NFL loses money, the fans will have to pay for it.

 

[GMO415]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury in U.S. District Court ordered the NFL to pay nearly $4.8 billion in damages Thursday after ruling that the league violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service.

The jury awarded $4.7 billion in damages to the residential class and $96 million in damages to the commercial class.

The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons on DirecTV. The lawsuit claimed the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/jury-rules-nfl-violated-antitrust-205401291.html

So the firm representing the plaintiffs will receive $1.5 billion? Wo, I should have went to law school.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Damn now Jerry better hurry and sign Dak lol

I would of thought Dak is the one trying to expedite matters......,he may of already missed the high QB watershed. Jerry's counting his money, crossing off potential competitors.

 

[Zekeats]

You’ll get a check in the mail for about $4.50.

Those class action lawsuits are a joke.

I was a subscriber since the NFL ticket was available. I’m not planning a trip to Bora Bora from any proceeds that may come my way.

Not a joke for the lawfirm who filed

 

[Runwildboys]

No one was forced to buy it

No, but if I understand correctly, they thought they were paying for the games on Sunday Ticket, but didn't get them, because they were moved to Prime(?).

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I don't know what they did wrong here, or why they are required to market their package on multiple distributors. How is what the NFL is doing illegal, but pay per view events totally legal? I guess we'll have to wait for the appeals.

Some are saying the league didn't force customers to buy it, and that is true, but they monopolized it in a way that inflated the price if you want it. For years fans blamed DIRECTV for how expensive the package cost. But what we didn't know ( until the package was open to competition earlier this year) was THE NFL SET THE MIN customers could be charged. For example, Apple dropped out of bidding on the current package cost it wanted to charge customers less than the NFL required.

Also, the NFL exemption from antitrust laws has always been shaky at best and they have always avoided any lawsuits or issues that would invite congressional attention.





The NFL earlier this year did score a Super Bowl halftime show sponsorship from Apple, but several weeks ago the media talks broke down. Why?

There are some obvious answers. Apple reportedly wanted to pay less than the NFL sought so it could offer the product at lower prices than incumbent DirecTV, but the NFL’s contracts with Fox and CBS disallowed that (lower Sunday Ticket prices could drive viewers away from the Sunday afternoon network windows). DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket offerings start at around $300 for a season.

The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons on DirecTV. The lawsuit claimed the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering "Sunday Ticket" only on a satellite provider

 

[The Quest for Six]

This award will be overturned on appeal, don't count on getting a dime!

 

[big dog cowboy]

The law just doesn't mean anything anymore. Courts just keep inventing crap for whatever ruling they feel like.

For example?

 

[Flamma]

Some are saying the league didn't force customers to buy it, and that is true, but they monopolized it in a way that inflated the price if you want it. For years fans blamed DIRECTV for how expensive the package cost. But what we didn't know ( until the package was open to competition earlier this year) was THE NFL SET THE MIN customers could be charged. For example, Apple dropped out of bidding on the current package cost it wanted to charge customers less than the NFL required.

Also, the NFL exemption from antitrust laws has always been shaky at best and they have always avoided any lawsuits or issues that would invite congressional attention.





The NFL earlier this year did score a Super Bowl halftime show sponsorship from Apple, but several weeks ago the media talks broke down. Why?

There are some obvious answers. Apple reportedly wanted to pay less than the NFL sought so it could offer the product at lower prices than incumbent DirecTV, but the NFL’s contracts with Fox and CBS disallowed that (lower Sunday Ticket prices could drive viewers away from the Sunday afternoon network windows). DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket offerings start at around $300 for a season.

The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons on DirecTV. The lawsuit claimed the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering "Sunday Ticket" only on a satellite provider

Ok. I guess my problem is that I don't understand why they can't charge an inflated price. But I do understand that network TV could be drastically affected by a cheaper Sunday ticket price. They can't allow that to happen. Thos TV deals are a gold mine for them.

 

[SportsGuru80]

That $4.8 billion will bloom into $14 billion.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Ok. I guess my problem is that I don't understand why they can't charge an inflated price

Just my take again......THEY CAN charge inflated prices as long as customers have a choice to purchase from other competition. Notice this statement......


The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering "Sunday Ticket" only on a satellite provider

This reminds me of the 70s and 80s when only a few companies monopolized cable TV. You could only buy from one provider (I hated Comcast).

 

[Flamma]

Just my take again......THEY CAN charge inflated prices as long as customers have a choice to purchase from other competition. Notice this statement......


The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering "Sunday Ticket" only on a satellite provider

This reminds me of the 70s and 80s when only a few companies monopolized cable TV. You could only buy from one provider (I hated Comcast).

I can only buy from one cable provider now. Either that or sat. I don't understand why a product I sell has to be provided by multiple outlets. If the NFL wanted to, they can be the sole provider, and no one can do anything about it.

I think they'll win this in appeal. If they don't, they'll remove the Sunday ticket altogether before losing all the money they get from networks.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Next up… Howard Stern. Dude forced me to buy satellite radio.

Looking for a lawyer to get my refund from HBO too. No one else would show me Sopranos episodes.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I don't understand why a product I sell has to be provided by multiple outlets

It doesn't BUT if you impose conditions on the ONE outlet that force customers to pay more, that's a problem. The NFL sold NFL Sunday Ticket to DIRECTV at the market value and received every penny but that was enough. They controlled how DIRECTV could distribute the package with the customers could be charged. In other words, why would you worry about how much I charge customers if you get your money under the contract?

 

[gtb1943]

If I recall civil suits correctly, not a lawyer of course just what I have seen and and read on them, does not the NFL, once the judge finalizes the decision, have to put that money in a secured account pretty much right away? Meaning that money, even if it never is awarded due to appeal, is untouchable until all the legal proceedings are over?

 

[Rajveer]

I’m thinking Uncle Raj may be the fallout guy here. Jerry finally gets his wish lol.

You called?

 

[Hawkeye0202]

This is from PFT since some were wondering how it may impact fans



https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...ect-salary-cap-changes-to-sunday-ticket-could

That’s great news for the players, who have benefited from the antitrust violations that kept Sunday Ticket priced at a level that protected the investment made by CBS and Fox, by discouraging people from buying Sunday Ticket and encouraging them to watch the games on their local TV stations.

The bad news, potentially, is that any changes forced by the outcome of the case could, in theory, impact future revenues. Given that the league and the union share the cash from TV deals, a reduction in TV revenue will hurt the players.

It’s premature at this point to know if changes will need to be made. The NFL will appeal Thursday’s outcome all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. If/when the NFL wins, the money won’t be paid — and the model likely won’t have to change.


Even without a win in court, the information that came to light during the trial could prompt sufficient fan and media blowback to force the league to finally get rid of the overpriced out-of-market package and either make it cheaper and more flexible (as ESPN waned to do) or carve it up among various channels available on current cable/satellite/streaming packages (as the league considered doing in 2017).