For 30 years, the NFL’s Sunday Ticket feature has faced antitrust issues. Now, the league will be defending this product in court on June 5th, as noted by Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. The main argument revolves around the NFL’s broadcast antitrust exemption and whether it allows the league to bundle all rights to out-of-market games and sell them as one unit. Potential damages from this trial could exceed $6 billion.
The NFL may be hoping to find a legal loophole within the federal court system, up to the Supreme Court. The case raises the question of whether the broadcast antitrust exemption extends to other formats like satellite and streaming services. This is a new area of concern in this regard.
Despite being marketed as a way for fans to watch their favorite team, the Sunday Ticket package requires customers to purchase all games for all teams for the entire season. This lack of flexibility in purchasing options has sparked criticism. Many cases settle before actually going to trial, but a settlement between the two sides seems unlikely as they are far apart in their positions. Still, there is a possibility for reconciliation before the trial begins on June 5th.
