The judge who presided in the class-action lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers against the NFL said that the jury did "not follow his instructions in determining damages." U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez made the remark as he heard the NFL’s post-trial motion asking that Gutierrez "rule for the league if he finds the plaintiffs did not prove their case." A federal jury on June 27 awarded $4.7B in damages to residential and commercial subscribers after it ruled the NFL "violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service." Since damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws, the NFL could end up being liable for $14.1B. Gutierrez could "order a new trial because the eight-person jury came up with its own calculations for damages." There "isn’t a timeline on when Gutierrez could issue his decision" ( AP, 7/31 ).
The NFL issued the following statement to SBJ's Ben Fischer: “Today we asked the district court to set aside the jury’s verdict in this case, which is contrary to the law and unsupported by the evidence presented at trial. The NFL's media distribution model is the most fan friendly in sports, with all games broadcast locally on free over-the-air television in addition to many other choices available to fans who want even more access to NFL content. We will continue to pursue all avenues in defense of the claims brought in this case.”
