NFL analyst claims $4.7 billion lawsuit was on deck to triple to $14,100,000,000 before judge squashed case
The NFL saved themselves at least $4.7 billion this week. According to various reports, a judge threw out the case after a jury had previously ruled against the NFL. The case had argued that the Sunday Ticket was ripping off fans by gaming the market. Due to the nature of the case, one NFL analyst believes the league might have owed $14.1 billion when all was said and done.
Speaking on an Aug. 1 edition of "Pro Football Talk," NFL analyst Mike Florio claimed that the anti-trust lawsuit damages automatically triple once an official judgment is rendered. Here's how he put it:
Florio: [00:01:41] The [$4.7 billion] damages that are proven get tripled. So there are certain aspects of the law where that happens. We're not going to let the jury come up with a different number. Whatever the number is, it gets tripled. If it's a million, it gets tripled. If it's $1 ... it gets tripled to $3," he said.
"That's why it is the antitrust laws built into the punishment. If you break the antitrust laws, whatever the actual damages, it always gets multiplied by three," he added. [00:02:08][26.2] PFT
The reason for the automatic multiplier, he also claimed, was to serve as an example to any other businesses from engaging in similar practices. Antitrust laws were created to protect consumers from businesses rigging the market to maximize their profits whether it makes certain goods unaffordable or not.
NFL fans face massive Sunday Ticket cost instead of windfall
Before this week, fans expected to receive money back from their relationship with Sunday Ticket this year. Instead, they will be forced to pay up.
Had the NFL paid out $14.1 billion, the two million fans involved in the lawsuit, per Business Insider, would have each received roughly $7,000. Instead, those fans will be asked to pay at least $449 to watch the product for the entirety of the 2024 season.
Active YouTube TV subscribers can spend $349 on the package. Either way, the swing equates to roughly $7500 for fans affected in the lawsuit.
One can only hope fans of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or any other quarterback didn't already spend their Sunday Ticket money on other things.
Of course, fans opting to skip Sunday Ticket can still visit a local restaurant that has the package to catch the most important out-of-market games.
Will the league see a loss of revenue from fans angered by the decision?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Pro Football Talk" and H/T Sportskeeda.