Appeals Court Orders New Trial on NFL Sunday Ticket Damages

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that the National Football League violated antitrust laws regarding the sale of NFL Sunday Ticket, effectively reopening the financial claims for subscribers. The three-judge panel reversed a 2024 decision by U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez, who had dismissed a jury verdict after a month-long trial in Los Angeles. While the court confirmed that the league and its teams are liable, it did not restore the original $4.7 billion award. Instead, the judges ordered a new trial specifically to determine how much the league owes to affected customers.

The class action covers individuals and businesses in the United States who purchased the Sunday Ticket package through DirecTV between the 2011 and 2022 seasons. The lawsuit, initially filed in 2015, alleged that the NFL forced fans to buy a single, expensive bundle to view Sunday afternoon games not carried by local CBS or Fox affiliates. The claim was that competitors were blocked from selling individual games or cheaper alternatives. In Maryland, this package was most useful for transplants following out-of-market teams and for sports bars that broadcast multiple games simultaneously. Purchases made after the package moved to Google’s YouTube platform in 2023 are not included in this specific case.

Judge Gutierrez had originally overturned the jury’s findings by ruling that testimony from the subscribers’ economic experts was unreliable. The appeals court disagreed, stating that the district judge had overstepped his role as a gatekeeper for expert evidence. The panel noted that questions regarding the credibility of those experts should have been decided by the jury. However, the court also found that the original jury did not properly apply the evidence when calculating the specific damages, which is why the dollar figure was discarded even though the liability finding survived.

The case now returns to the trial court for a new hearing limited to damages. The NFL has the option to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision, though it is not yet clear if the league will file for a review. As of Friday afternoon, the league had not released a public comment on the ruling. The legal timeline has been long, involving a 2017 dismissal by a federal judge, a revival by the Ninth Circuit in 2019, and a 2024 jury verdict that was subsequently thrown out.

Subscribers should not expect immediate payments. There is currently no claim form, and no payout has been approved by the court. Legal experts advise that consumers should not pay anyone to register their interest, as no official process has been set up. Anyone asking for a fee or bank details to sign up for Sunday Ticket money is likely a scam. Affected individuals and businesses should locate old records, such as DirecTV statements or confirmation emails, showing charges from the 2011 through 2022 seasons. These documents may be useful if a formal claims process is established in the future.