The NFL Sunday Ticket is about to take center stage this week as a trial continues claiming that the league violated antitrust laws.
This case focuses on allegations that the league and DirecTV inflated NFL Sunday Ticket prices for consumers of the product.
“The case focuses on the allegation that the NFL requires the Sunday Ticket provider to charge a premium price, so that consumers would be more likely to watch the over-the-air offerings from their local CBS and Fox affiliates,” he explained. “Evidence introduced to date supports the notion that the league preferred fewer subscribers at a high price, and that the league did not want (for example) ESPN to offer the package for $70 per year or to make a per-team option available.”
Report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio
We’re now hearing more on the civil court case. The Sports Business Journal reports that both Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will testify this week as part of the lawsuit.
NFL Sunday Ticket trial and what it could mean
Plaintiffs in the trial are seeking $7.1 billion in damages. It could create a massive hit for the NFL’s bottom line. At the very least, changes in broadcasting rights could be a part of the end result.
A report earlier in June concluded that the NFL could have drastically reduces Sunday Ticket prices.
ESPN had reportedly proposed a scenario that would have reduced the annual cost of the package from $349 to $70 for each subscriber. The NFL had no interest. Instead, it opoted to go from DirecTV to YouTube.