The NFL was convicted Thursday of colluding with several broadcasters to set high prices for subscriptions to one of its flagship programs.
Found guilty of abuse of a dominant position by a jury at the end of a federal trial, the NFL will have to pay some $4.7 billion in damages, according to several American media outlets.
In 2015, the owners of a San Francisco pub, the Mucky Duck, sued the NFL for its management of the “Sunday Ticket” program, which allows, for a subscription, to see all matches not involving the team(s). local.
They criticized the American football league for having taken advantage of its monopoly to establish unjustified prices, with the agreement of the CBS and Fox channels, which broadcast the matches over the air, and the satellite package DirecTV, holder of the rights to “Sunday Ticket”.
The procedure had been reclassified as a collective action, on behalf of 2.4 million subscribers and 48,000 commercial establishments.
Thursday’s verdict could threaten the NFL’s seven-year, $14 billion contract with current “Sunday Ticket” broadcaster YouTube, which took over from DirecTV last year.
The league has announced its intention to challenge the decision in court.
The parties can file appeals, which will be considered by federal judge Philip Gutierrez in late July. The magistrate will then decide whether the verdict should be upheld, overturned or modified.
If confirmed, federal law provides for a triple damages award, which would bring the amount owed by the NFL to $14 billion.
2024-06-28 01:43:31
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