• Loading stock data...
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot
Law

Plaintiffs Appeal After $4.7 Billion NFL Sunday Ticket Verdict Tossed

  • The move was expected after a federal judge’s extraordinary decision in the case.
  • For now, the judge’s ruling means there will be no structural changes to Sunday Ticket.
NFL-Sunday_Ticket
Shutterstock

Lawyers representing more than two million NFL Sunday Ticket customers filed a notice of appeal, an expected move after a federal judge made the extraordinary decision to set aside the jury’s $4.7 billion verdict on Aug. 1. 

After a three-week trial in June, a Los Angeles jury ruled that NFL had overcharged for Sunday Ticket when the out-of-market package was distributed by DirecTV from June 17, 2011 through Feb. 7, 2023. That award, under federal antitrust law, could have been tripled to about $14 billion—more than the NFL takes in annually from its many U.S. TV distribution deals. 

The NFL, however, challenged the math used by the jury to come up with the award figure, arguing the number was not presented at trial. U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez ultimately agreed with the league’s lawyers. 

“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.’” Gutierrez wrote in his Aug. 1 decision tossing the verdict. 

On Aug. 20, Gutierrez entered his final judgment in the case, which also meant there’d be no structural changes—including a price cut—to the current Sunday Ticket setup on YouTube TV. 

In their notice of appeal to the 9th Circuit filed Friday night, lawyers for the plaintiffs wrote that they will challenge the Aug. 20 final judgment “and all other orders, opinions, rulings, and decisions,” including Gutierrez’s Aug. 1 decision to grant the NFL’s motion for a judgment as a matter of law. 

Sunday Ticket currently costs $449 annually for non–YouTube TV subscribers and $349 a year for YouTube TV subscribers. 

Google’s YouTube TV became the exclusive home to Sunday Ticket ahead of the 2023 NFL season for residential customers as part of a seven-year, $14 billion deal. DirecTV, which had distributed Sunday Ticket since its inception in 1994, paid $300 million annually before its deal expired after the 2022 season. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Commanders Seal Stadium Deal As D.C. Approves $1.1B in Funding

The NFL team’s return to its prior home receives key political support.

Belichick Bump Creating Record UNC Ticket Prices

The cost of seeing the NFL legend’s college coaching debut is soaring.

Micah Parsons Requests Trade From Cowboys As Contract Talks Stall

The defensive end has been seeking a new contract.
McLaurin

Terry McLaurin Asks Out of Washington Amid Contract Standoff

McLaurin is in the final year of a three-year, $68 million contract. 

Featured Today

Coco Gauff at New York Liberty

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Las Vegas sign
July 29, 2025

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
Feb 20, 2011; Calgary, AB, Canada; Canadian hockey fans wave a flag and display a banner before the Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames at McMahon Stadium. The Flames beat the Canadiens 4-0

Where Does Hockey Go After the Hockey Canada Verdict?

After the sexual assault trial, hockey is split over the path forward.
Gilbert Arenas
July 31, 2025

Gilbert Arenas Charged With Running Illegal Poker Operation With ‘Organized Crime Figure’

The former NBA player allegedly ran a poker club from his house.
Troy Taylor
July 31, 2025

Ex-Stanford Coach Troy Taylor Sues ESPN for Defamation

Taylor was fired after a pair of 3–9 seasons.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Marcus Morris
July 30, 2025

Marcus Morris Denies Fraud, Blames Mixup for $260K Casino Debt Arrest

Morris made roughly $107 million across 13 NBA seasons.
Apr 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles as New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) is screened by Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards (2) during the first half at Madison Square Garden.
July 30, 2025

Tensions Rise After Suns Fire Ex–Security Director

Phoenix faces a slew of lawsuits from former employees.
Jul 22, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (not in uniform) celebrates from the bench in the first quarter against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center.
July 29, 2025

Man Who Stalked Clark Gets 2 Years in Prison

He sent more than 800 messages and visited Indianapolis to see Clark.
Katinka Hosszu
July 25, 2025

Swimmers Settle Bulk of Suit Against World Aquatics Over New League

The sides reached a deal earlier this summer.