A class-action lawsuit filed by NFL "Sunday Ticket" subscribers seeks up to $22 billion in damages over claims the league broke antitrust laws by giving fans just one choice in where they could watch the games.
Opening arguments got underway in federal court on Thursday where the league's attorney told jurors that fans do have a choice and the "Sunday Ticket" package is seen as a premium product.
“The case is about choice. This is a valuable, premium product. Think about all the choices available to fans. We want as many people as possible to watch the free broadcasts,” said Beth Wilkinson, who is representing the NFL, according to the Associated Press.
The lawsuit was filed all the way back in 2015 alleges that the NFL broke antitrust laws when it allowed DirecTV to exclusively sell the "Sunday Ticket" package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games airing on CBS and Fox at premium prices.
“NFL, Fox, CBS and DirecTV agreed to make an expensive toll road that very few people would be able to afford. Every single competitor in this scheme benefited,” Amanda Bonn, an attorney representing “Sunday Ticket” subscribers, said in her opening remarks Thursday.
The AP reports that the class-action case covers more than 2.45 million commercial and residential subscribers from 2012 to 2022 and seeks $7.1 billion in damages. Since damages are tripled under federal rules, the NFL could be liable for up to $21 billion if it loses.
The NFL has contended that the "Sunday Ticket" is an add-on package for the league's most devoted fans, noting that all local games are available on broadcast games.
“The NFL always wanted ‘Sunday Ticket’ to be an additional package. That is how it is was designed since its inception,” testified Steve Bornstein, a former NFL executive and the first president of NFL Network.
