United States: NFL ordered to pay $4.8bn in damages for violating antitrust law on "Sunday Ticket"

The Federal District Court for the District of California (USA) has ordered the National Football League to pay $4.8bn (€4.47bn) in damages for violating antitrust law, according to several US media on 27/06/2024.

This decision follows a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 2.4 million subscribers and 48,000 commercial establishments (mostly bars and restaurants) initiated in 2015 regarding the broadcast of the "NFL Sunday Ticket" (all Sunday afternoon out-of-market games, i.e. games that are not played in the viewer's local area).

The plaintiffs alleged that the NFL Sunday Ticket was marketed at an "excessively high" price over the 2011-2022 period, despite being offered exclusively by the pay-TV group DirecTV. In particular, they accused the NFL of protecting the CBS and Fox groups (local broadcasters of the NFL) by increasing the price of the NFL Sunday Ticket, thereby discouraging individuals from subscribing to the offer. They also claimed that the NFL had limited competition by offering the NFL Sunday Ticket only via DirecTV.

The NFL must therefore pay $4.7bn (€4.39bn) in damages…