The class-action lawsuit by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers against the NFL moves to jury deliberations on Wednesday, following the conclusion of both sides presenting their cases on Monday. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez will finalize jury instructions with attorneys on Tuesday and may also hear a motion from the NFL, arguing that the plaintiffs didn’t provide sufficient evidence. Final instructions and closing arguments will occur just before the jury begins their deliberations.
Stanford economics professor B. Douglas Bernheim, the NFL’s final witness, defended the league’s sale of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games to DirecTV and now YouTube TV, claiming it benefits fans and fosters competitive balance. Contrarily, Harvard professor Einer Elhauge, testifying for the plaintiffs, asserted there is no connection between “Sunday Ticket” and maintaining competitive balance, emphasizing that the revenue from these sales doesn’t significantly affect the salary cap or team budgets.
The lawsuit seeks to represent 2.4 million residential and 48,000 business subscribers claiming the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” package, sold exclusively through a satellite provider, violated antitrust laws by inflating prices. If found liable, the NFL could face damages up to $21 billion. The case, initially filed in 2015, has traversed multiple legal hurdles and is expected to be appealed regardless of the jury’s decision.
