Judge Overturns NFL $4.7B 'Sunday Ticket' Verdict

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez overturned a $4.7 billion verdict against the NFL related to the pricing of its 'Sunday Ticket' service, dismissing the testimony of two key witnesses as methodologically flawed. The plaintiffs had argued that the NFL's exclusive distribution deal with DirecTV inflated prices, but the judge ruled that the evidence was insufficient to support the damages awarded by the jury. The decision represents a significant legal win for the NFL, which faced the potential of tripled damages under federal antitrust laws, amounting to over $14 billion. The case, which affects 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses, is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, prolonging the legal battle. This ruling temporarily alleviates financial pressures on the NFL and its teams, which would have faced substantial financial strain had the original verdict been upheld.