NFL’s Sunday Ticket at the Center of Antitrust Trial: Will League Win, Settle or Fight to Uphold Exemption?

The NFL’s Sunday Ticket feature has been at the center of antitrust issues for the past 30 years. On June 5, the league will have to defend this product at trial. The main argument against the NFL is its broadcast antitrust exemption, which does not allow the league to bundle all rights to out-of-market games and sell them as a single unit. Potential damages could exceed $6 billion.

In addition to the financial implications, many key figures within the NFL will be required to testify in court. Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal believes that a settlement is unlikely due to the significant gap between the two sides. However, there is still time for them to come to an agreement before the trial begins. Many cases are settled before going to court, sometimes at the last minute.

The NFL may be hoping to find a way out in the federal court system, ultimately leading to the Supreme Court. The case in question raises the issue of whether the broadcast antitrust exemption applies to other formats such as satellite and streaming. The Sunday Ticket experiment involves various levels of antitrust issues, from