Opening arguments were expected to begin Thursday in federal court in a class-action lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers claiming the NFL broke antitrust laws.
The lawsuit was filed in 2015 and has withstood numerous challenges, including a dismissal that was overturned.
The suit says the NFL broke antitrust laws when it allowed DirecTV to exclusively sell the “Sunday Ticket” package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games airing on CBS and Fox at what it says was an inflated price and restricted competition.
DirecTV was the home of “NFL Sunday Ticket” from 1994 until 2022. YouTube will be in the second season this year of a seven-year deal after agreeing to the rights in December 2022.
The NFL will contend that “Sunday Ticket” is an add-on package for the league's most-devoted and out-of-town fans, along with stating that all games for local teams are available on broadcast networks.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a longtime member of the league's broadcast committee, are expected to testify in the case that could last up to three weeks.
The hearing could bring to light how much YouTube is paying the NFL for “Sunday Ticket” and if it is making money. There also could be documents filed and not redacted that would show how much networks spend to produce an NFL game.
This is one of the rare times the NFL has had a high-profile case go to court where league financial matters would become public without settling. In 2021, it settled with St. Louis, St. Louis County and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority for $790 million over the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles.
