What the jury found
A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated a jury verdict that the National Football League violated antitrust law through its Sunday Ticket package, reviving a case that had been thrown out two years ago. The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the district court in Los Angeles to restore the verdict and hold a new trial on damages.
The jury in June 2024 found the league liable for about $4.61 billion to residential subscribers and $96.9 million to commercial subscribers, a total near $4.7 billion before trebling. Sunday Ticket is the only way fans can watch out-of-market games, and subscribers argued that prices were inflated to limit subscriptions and protect the fees broadcasters pay for local rights.
The expert testimony at the centre
One month after the verdict, US District Judge Philip Gutierrez set it aside, ruling that testimony from two expert witnesses for the subscribers should have been excluded because their methods were flawed. The appeals panel disagreed, finding the judge abused his discretion and that a jury verdict must stand unless the evidence clearly cannot support it. The court did not restore the award itself, leaving the size of any damages to a second trial.
The NFL said it was disappointed and is weighing options for further review. It defended its broadcast model as the most fan-friendly distribution system in sports and entertainment, and has called the damages figure nonsensical.
What happens next
The practical effect is that the league faces renewed liability as it prepares for its next round of media rights negotiations. A new damages trial could produce a different number, and either side could still seek review by the full Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court. For subscribers, nothing changes immediately: Sunday Ticket is still sold at current prices while the litigation continues, and the case will take months more to resolve.