The NFL has snatched legal victory from the $14.1 billion jaws of defeat, thanks to a ruling by Judge Philip Gutierrez.
On Thursday night, the NFL issued a statement acknowledging the decision to overturn the verdict.
“We are grateful for today’s ruling in the Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,” the league said in a statement. “We believe that the NFL’s media distribution model provides our fans with an array of options to follow the game they love, including local broadcasts of every single game on free over-the-air television. We thank Judge Gutierrez for his time and attention to this case and look forward to an exciting 2024 NFL season.”
The case won’t end. The ruling will be appealed. Previously, a judge threw out the entire case, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reinstated it.
There’s also the question of whether the finding of an antitrust violation arising from the pricing and distribution of Sunday Ticket will stand. We have the order, and we’ll scour it for information and other clues.