The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for having one of, if not the largest fan base in the NFL. With members of Steeler Nation watching from all over the world, there are complications with being able to actually tune in legally. The best way for these fans to watch the Steelers play has been with the NFL Sunday Ticket, who recently sold their rights to YouTube TV. However, the blockbuster deal between the NFL and YouTube TV has not been all sunshine and rainbows in their first year of partnership.
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NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell speaks to reporters at a Super Bowl LVI news conference outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California..
Meghann Cuniff, a legal journalist for the Washington Post, reported that the NFL has lost their lawsuit involving the Sunday Ticket and American anti-trust laws. The jury is reportedly demanding that the NFL pays back billions in dollars to the consumers.
Residential damages were actually at $4.7 billion, even more than $4 billion. That’s $700 million more.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) June 27, 2024
Cuniff continues to go into detail in the thread on X, including the NFL attempting to eliminate any evidence that came up through cross-examination of Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. That motion did not happen, and the NFL is now forced to pay out nearly $4.7 billion dollars to "commercial class" and "residential class."
Steelers.com
A plethora of Steelers fans wave the infamous Terrible Towel during a home football game in Pittsburgh, PA.
The NFL has announced that they will appeal this decision, however. Because of this, any refund that would go out to everyone affected will not come immediately. There is no timetable on how long the appeal process will take, but the NFL will continue to fight tooth and nail to keep the Sunday Ticket at an insanely high price due to being a "premium product."
A federal judge has ordered the @NFL to pay $4 billion in residential class damages and $96 million in commercial class damages to fans and bars, respectively, in the Sunday Ticket case.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 27, 2024
In the statement below, the league says it will appeal the decision. pic.twitter.com/pWpXEpfe4L
Because of the magnitude of the lawsuit, the NFL may be able to take this to the Supreme Court, depending on how the appeal process goes. If that happens, it may take years before anyone sees a refund from the exorbitant price of watching out-of-market Sunday football.
If the NFL's appeal claim is denied, then fans could be receiving refunds much sooner. There is no set date for the claim to be seen by a court yet. If the league continues to lose these cases, the way that the average fan can watch the game of football will most likely be changed, and it may be changed forever. This case could help set precedent around the world of media, television, and live-streaming services.
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YouTube TV hopes that with more options, it can improve viewers' experience with NFL Sunday Ticket.
How Will Steelers Fans Be Impacted By The Lawsuit?
For starters, the price of NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone will most likely drop like a rock. Steeler Nation will be able to watch their favorite team from all over the world without spending an entire paycheck on it. For reference, MLB.TV charges just $120 dollars to watch every single out-of-market game. Each MLB team has 162 games per season, compared to the NFL's 17 games per season (per team).
Fans can also score refunds for previous years of Sunday Ticket. Because of the appeal process, who knows when that will happen. As long as the NFL does not win the appeal, they will be forced to pay over $4 billion dollars to the fans, and that's not even considering the other portion that goes to the "commercial class," like bars and restaurants.
If the NFL lost once, it could definitely happen again. The average fan could not only get their money back, but not have to worry about throwing loads of money at the league in the future just to watch the games. Stay tuned to the whole lawsuit, so you know exactly how the NFL can give you what you deserve.
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