The NFL faces the possibility of paying billions after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the jury’s liability finding, ordering a new trial on damages in the Sunday Ticket antitrust case. In 2024, a Los Angeles jury awarded DirecTV subscribers roughly 4.7 billion dollars for claims that the NFL, its teams and network partners coordinated to restrain trade and inflate the price of the Sunday Ticket broadcast package. Weeks later, Judge Phillip S. Gutierrez overturned the verdict, excluding testimony from two experts who testified during the trial. The Ninth Circuit panel held that he abused the court’s discretion in doing so.
The district court threw out the testimony of Daniel Rascher, an economist at the University of San Francisco, claiming his testimony was not grounded in real economic analysis and did not produce a coherent model. Rascher compared the NFL to college football, which airs games on regular television and basic cable. He concluded that without Sunday Ticket, out-of-market NFL games would likely be available in the same way that college games are broadcast, at no extra cost. However, the Ninth Circuit found that similarities between college and professional football broadcasts are questions for a reasonable jury to decide.
The district court also disregarded the testimony of John Douglas Zona, who opined that subscribers were overcharged for the Sunday Ticket package, estimating the DirecTV deal cost residential subscribers $2.81 billion and commercial subscribers $670 million. Zona estimated that the Sunday Ticket package would have cost almost 50% less had a single competitor been allowed to broadcast out-of-market games. In excluding this testimony, the lower court ruled that subscribers needed to show a specific competitor, but the Ninth Circuit disagreed, holding that it was sufficient that a plausible competitor could have offered the games. In addition, the Ninth Circuit found that the jury miscalculated the total damages, so a new trial will determine how much the NFL owes.
With a new trial ordered, a case that started in 2015 could face additional years of litigation. The NFL may opt to settle the class action, saving the cost of another trial and hefty damages, and potentially agreeing to give out-of-market fans more options to watch their favorite teams. Currently, Sunday Ticket obligates subscribers to buy every NFL game; many fans would prefer a package covering only their favorite team or division, making the price cheaper. YouTube TV’s Sunday Ticket package costs subscribers up to $480 and is substantially more expensive for restaurants and bars. Further, Sunday Ticket does not include games that are aired exclusively through streaming services like Prime and Peacock, forcing fans to add-on outside subscriptions just to watch every game.
The NFL said it was disappointed by the decision and is considering whether to seek appellate review, maintaining that its model is “by far the most fan-friendly” in sports. Whether the NFL decides to pursue further litigation or settle, the Ninth Circuit decision puts pressure on how games are sold to broadcasters, and whether fans will keep paying a premium price.
Sources:
Matthew Perlman, 9th Circ. Revives NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust Verdict, Law360 (Oct. 30, 2026).
Saad Yousuf, NFL faces new trial over ‘Sunday Ticket’ damages after court reinstates verdict against league, The Athletic (Nov. 2, 2026).
The Associated Press, U.S. judge overturns $4.7 billion ‘Sunday Ticket’ judgment against the NFL, NPR (Aug. 2, 2024).
Michael McCann, NFL Loses Sunday Ticket Appeal but Wins New Trial on Damages, Sportico (Oct. 30, 2026).