Ninth Circuit ruling opens door for NFL Sunday Ticket antitrust case to reach YouTube TV
A three-judge Ninth Circuit panel reinstated the jury's finding that the NFL violated antitrust law through its Sunday Ticket arrangement with DirecTV, while ordering a new trial solely on the damages amount. The original jury had awarded $4.7 billion, which would have tripled to over $14 billion under federal antitrust statutes, but the trial judge had thrown out that verdict over concerns about how plaintiffs' experts calculated damages. In a largely overlooked separate memorandum, the panel also sent injunction claims back to the district court to assess whether they remain viable now that the DirecTV deal has expired. According to legal analyst Eriq Gardner of Puck, that move creates a potential path for plaintiffs to challenge the NFL's current Sunday Ticket arrangement with YouTube TV, which follows a similar pricing model, and Gardner suggests a settlement may be the most sensible resolution for the league.
[T]here's a certain tactical logic to seeking an injunction with a newly restored liability verdict in hand.
Why it matters
For service providers: If the case expands to cover the YouTube TV arrangement, the NFL's current out-of-market distribution model could be forced to change, reshaping the broader sports media rights landscape.
For brands: Broadcasters Fox and CBS, whose Sunday afternoon packages are tied to the Sunday Ticket pricing model at the center of this case, could face significant business uncertainty if the injunction route proceeds.
For media: A successful injunction challenge to the YouTube TV deal could disrupt how out-of-market NFL games are packaged and distributed to fans.
Read the full story at Awful Announcing
Sources
- Awful Announcing · Drew Lerner: Court opens possibility that NFL Sunday Ticket case could expand to YouTube TV