Earlier this week, the NFL was ordered to pay more than $4.7 billion to consumers and $96 million to bars and restaurants after a jury determined they violated antitrust laws with their NFL “Sunday Ticket” package.
Due to antitrust laws, the NFL could be forced to pay out more than $14 billion. For more information on what the NFL did wrong and what will happen next, check out our recent FAQ article.
In the aftermath of the verdict, NFL “Sunday Ticket” subscribers had several big questions. Who is eligible to receive a payout from the class-action lawsuit? How much will each consumer receive? When will these payments go out? Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL “Sunday Ticket” payouts and whether you’ll be able to get a slice of the pie.
Who Is Eligible To Receive a Payout?
The website for the class-action lawsuit states that the court “has certified two damages classes and two injunctive-relief classes in this litigation comprised of residential subscribers and commercial subscribers.” The lawsuit included 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 commercial subscribers, and this is who would receive a payout.
To receive a payout as a residential subscriber or commercial subscriber, you must have purchased NFL “Sunday Ticket” through DirecTV “at any time between June 17, 2011 and Feb. 7, 2023.”
Individuals who wanted to exclude themselves from the class-action lawsuit had to do so by Oct. 8, 2023. As long as you didn’t exclude yourself, you can still join the class-action lawsuit and receive a check.
“If you do nothing, you or your business will be bound by the outcome of the case,” the website states.
lots of people asking if they are “IN” the class
based on my reading of this (obv im no attorney):
if you were a residential DIRECTV sub & purchased Sunday Ticket between 6/17/11 – 2/7/23, you are “IN” the class & may receive damages
*unless you opted out by 10/8/23 pic.twitter.com/4hV6LQiazW
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 27, 2024
While this is exciting news for anyone who purchased NFL “Sunday Ticket” over the last decade, it’s worth noting that the NFL is appealing this verdict and will likely drag this out as long as possible.
“We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit,” the league said in a statement.
How Much Will Each Consumer Receive?
Again, the NFL is appealing this decision, so it’s possible that this verdict will be overturned and the eligible consumers will never receive their money. With billions of dollars on the line, you can bet that the league is going to do everything in its power to fight this.
However, let’s say the NFL loses all appeals and must make these payments; how much would each individual receive?
KEEP READING: NFL ‘Sunday Ticket’ Lawsuit FAQ: What Did the NFL Do Wrong?
Some have projected that the payments would be around $2,000 for both residential subscribers and commercial subscribers.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk had a slightly higher estimate, saying that consumers could receive around $3,000 to $4,000 each.
"If this is the final number the judge will be responsible for deciding how the money gets split up..
My rough math at this point would suggest that you're looking at 3-4,000 dollars per person"@ProFootballTalk #PMSLive https://t.co/e5pAcFS4sr pic.twitter.com/z0rDU0Lj0Q
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 28, 2024
Others, including Joe Pompliano, estimated that consumers would receive roughly $340 for each year that they were subscribed to NFL “Sunday Ticket.”
An estimate of the NFL Sunday Ticket Math
$13.8 billion potential payout
x 0.35 for lawyer fees (35%)
—————
$8.97 billion leftover
÷ 2.4 million residential subscribers
—————
$3,737 per subscriber
÷ 11 seasons
—————
= $340 each year subscribedThis case is far from over though. pic.twitter.com/raav8DEf4F
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 28, 2024
It remains to be seen exactly how much each customer would receive, but it seems like the payouts could be significant.
What Is the Timeline for Payments To Go Out?
It’s too early to say. The next step is getting through the post-trial motions, which Judge Philip S. Gutierrez will hear on July 31. Then, we must await the NFL’s appeals.
As long as the NFL is appealing this, payments will be stayed.
The NFL’s appeal will be heard by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and then this may go to the Supreme Court. It’s worth noting that this lawsuit was originally filed in 2015, so this has already dragged out for nearly a decade.
While the jury’s decision is a huge step for consumers, the fact that the NFL plans to appeal means that payments aren’t going out anytime soon, so don’t spend that money just yet!
The NFL continues to argue that they didn’t violate antitrust laws.
“We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL ‘Sunday Ticket’ class action lawsuit,” the league said in a statement.
“We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all NFL games broadcast on free over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams and national distribution of our most popular games, supplemented by many additional choices including [NFL] RedZone, ‘Sunday Ticket’, and NFL+, is by far the most fan-friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment.”
