Appeals court reinstates jury's antitrust verdict against the NFL in 'Sunday Ticket' case, orders new damages trial

A jury in 2024 found the league liable and awarded about $4.7 billion to a class of about 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses that bought the package on DirecTV during the 2011 to 2022 seasons. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez later threw out the verdict after excluding the plaintiffs' expert testimony. The appeals court, in an opinion by Judge Anthony Johnstone, said that exclusion was wrong, according to Deadline. The ruling does not restore the $4.7 billion award itself.

The NFL said it was "disappointed" and would consider options for further appellate review, Deadline reported. Sunday Ticket moved from DirecTV to YouTube in 2023.

Why it matters: The decision revives a case over how the league packages its games for TV and streaming, and a new trial will determine how much the NFL may owe subscribers.