Judge Overturns $4.7 Billion NFL "Sunday Ticket" Verdict

A California judge has overturned a jury verdict ordering the NFL to pay more than $4.7 billion for antitrust violations related to its “Sunday Ticket” package, which allows fans to watch games outside their home markets but requires them to buy access to a bundle of games, Ramishah Maruf and Chris Isidore reported for CNN.

The presiding judge expressed concerns about the expert witnesses of the trial. I Photo: NFL

The NFL, America’s most popular source of television programming, had vowed to appeal the verdict in June.

In a statement, the NFL said it was “grateful” for the ruling. “We believe that the NFL’s media distribution model provides our fans with an array of options to follow the game they love, including local broadcasts of every single game on free over-the-air television,” the statement said.

In a court filing, U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez raised concerns about the expert witnesses in the trial.

“The Court agrees that Dr. Rascher’s and Dr. Zona’s testimonies, based on their flawed methodologies, should be excluded. And because there was no other support for the class-wide injury and damages elements of Plaintiffs’ claims, judgment as a matter of law for the Defendants is appropriate,” the filing stated.

The filing also noted, “The Court finds that the jury’s damages awards were not based on the ‘evidence and reasonable inferences’ but instead were more akin to ‘guesswork or speculation.’”