The NFL recently achieved a significant legal victory when U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez overturned the $4.7 billion verdict against the league that was issued in June. The decision came after the league requested the court to dismiss the verdict, and Gutierrez granted the request. The judge felt that the jury did not properly follow the court’s instructions when calculating the damages owed by the NFL in the case.
Throughout the three-week trial, the jury was presented with three financial models to assist in determining potential damages. However, Gutierrez emphasized the importance of not relying on guesswork or speculation when calculating damages. Despite this warning, the jury came up with its own formula for awarding damages, leading to the $4.7 billion verdict. Gutierrez believed that the jury had disregarded his instructions, which ultimately led to the verdict being overturned.
In his judgment, Gutierrez highlighted that the methodologies used to assess damages against the NFL were flawed and did not make sense. As a result, he deemed that judgment in favor of the defendants was appropriate due to the lack of support for the class-wide injury and damages elements of the plaintiffs’ claims.
The jury had ruled against the NFL based on the belief that the league collaborated with its network partners to inflate the price of “Sunday Ticket.” The $4.7 billion verdict could have potentially tripled to $14.1 billion since damages can be tripled in federal antitrust cases. The NFL expressed its gratitude for the ruling, emphasizing its media distribution model that provides fans with various options to follow the game.
Following Gutierrez’s decision, the NFL released a statement expressing appreciation for the ruling in the Sunday Ticket class-action lawsuit. The league believes that its media distribution model offers fans numerous ways to enjoy games, including local broadcast on free over-the-air television. The NFL thanked Judge Gutierrez for his attention to the case and looked forward to the upcoming 2024 NFL season.
The court victory for the NFL coincided with the start of the 2024 preseason with the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. The league’s success in overturning the $4.7 billion verdict will likely provide relief to many individuals at NFL headquarters.
