Appeals Court Revives NFL Sunday Ticket Liability Verdict

The Ninth Circuit appeals court sent the class-action lawsuit back to a district court in Los Angeles, reviving a jury’s finding that the NFL violated antitrust law. The panel also upheld the decision to hold a new trial on damages, so the jury’s $4.7 billion award does not stand as the amount owed by the league.

The case concerns 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses that bought Sunday Ticket through DirecTV to watch games unavailable in their local markets during the 2011–2022 seasons. The lawsuit argued that the NFL restricted competition by making the package available through a satellite provider and charged subscribers inflated prices.

A jury found the NFL liable in 2024 and awarded subscribers about $4.7 billion. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez later set aside the verdict, ruling that two experts for the subscribers had used flawed methods and should not have testified.

The appeals panel found that Gutierrez went too far in excluding the experts’ testimony, saying its reliability and supporting data were matters for the jury to assess. But the panel also concluded that the jury’s damages calculation did not properly follow the judge’s instructions and relied on speculation. It ordered the district court to reinstate the liability verdict and conduct a new damages trial.

The NFL said it was disappointed and maintained that its distribution model gives fans extensive viewing options. The league said it would consider seeking further appellate review. The case was filed in 2015; Sunday Ticket moved to YouTube in 2023 under a seven-year agreement.