March is approaching, and with it a significant possibility that the NFL could be forced to pay an exorbitant sum of money due to a class-action lawsuit set to return on March 9, 2026, to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The lawsuit seeks $14.1 billion. The matter dates back to 2015, when a class action was initiated by 2.4 million subscribers and 48,000 businesses that filed suit in Los Angeles, alleging that the “Sunday Ticket” package was exclusively available as a full-bundle package.
Under that structure, consumers were required to purchase all games without the option of selecting only those they wished to watch. In 2017, a judge dismissed the case, stating that the package did not reduce the output of NFL games.
Two years later, in 2019, the Ninth Circuit reinstated the lawsuit. On June 27, 2024, following five hours of deliberation, a jury determined that the NFL should pay $4.8 billion in total damages. Of that amount, $4.7 billion was designated for residential subscribers and $96 million for businesses.
Subsequently, on July 31 of that same year, Judge Philip Gutierrez heard arguments from the NFL, which contended that the plaintiffs had failed to prove their case. On August 1, the judge ruled that testimony from two of the plaintiffs’ witnesses contained inconsistencies and that their methodology was flawed, concluding that such evidence should have been excluded.
It was later indicated that the plaintiffs could once again appeal to the Ninth Circuit, which is why the matter has regained momentum. The plaintiffs expect arguments to focus on the technical grounds employed last year.
As of now, it remains unknown which three judges will preside over the case. Several possible outcomes could emerge:
- That the full verdict be reinstated,
- That a new trial be ordered, or
- That a recalculation of damages be mandated
The implications of this legal battle extend far beyond the courtroom. Should the original verdict be restored, the financial repercussions could reverberate across the league’s economic structure, potentially affecting broadcasting agreements and the valuation of media rights. Conversely, a new trial or recalculated damages could prolong uncertainty for both the league and the plaintiffs, leaving the future of the Sunday Ticket distribution model under scrutiny.
At its core, the dispute centers on whether the league’s longstanding packaging model unfairly limited consumer choice and artificially inflated prices. With billions of dollars hanging in the balance, the forthcoming appellate hearing represents a pivotal moment not only for the NFL but also for the broader landscape of sports media and antitrust litigation in the United States.
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