Cowboys owner Jerry Jones takes a shot at Bengals in NFL Sunday Ticket testimony
Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, took the stand on Monday in court as the NFL Sunday Ticket lawsuit progressed. However, while on the stand, the owner took a shot at a fellow NFL franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals.
The NFL has been fighting the Sunday Ticket lawsuit since 2015, involving 2.4 million individual subscribers and 48,000 businesses. The almost 2.5 million plaintiffs are subject to $7 billion in compensation. However, this figure could balloon up to $21 million since the lawsuit is a federal anti-trust issue, and the damages awarded could be tripled. As per the court documents, the plaintiffs claim:
“The NFL's business deal for distributing the package has artificially inflated its price, in violation of U.S. antitrust law.”
The case is being heard by the California District Court, and Jerry Jones was called in to testify in his position as a member of the NFL’s media committee. However, during his statements, the Dallas Cowboys owner, while defending the package deal, aimed at the Bengals and said:
“I am convinced I would make a lot more money than the Bengals. I’m completely against each team doing TV deals. It is flawed.”
Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million. Since then, he has been the owner, president, and GM of the team. Jones will take the stand on Tuesday and will face cross-examination from the plaintiff’s lawyers.
What did Roger Goodell say in his testimony during the NFL Sunday Ticket lawsuit?
During Monday’s session, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was on the stand for almost four hours. He defended the practice of the NFL selling out-of-market games as a package deal. He said:
“We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product. Not just on pricing but quality. Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not. I’m sure there were fans who said it was too costly.”
The court case is scheduled to go on for longer unless the NFL reaches an out-of-court settlement with the plaintiffs. However, NFL analyst Mike Florio contends that irrespective of the outcome, NFL viewers are bound to benefit from the case.