The NFL thought it might have put the “Sunday Ticket” saga behind it, but hold up. A federal appeals court just wiped out the massive $4.7 billion award against the league, ordering a whole new trial to figure out damages for allegedly overcharging subscribers. Talk about a plot twist that no one saw coming on a Friday night!
The Mucky Duck’s Decade-Long Battle
This whole thing kicked off 11 years ago, starting with a lawsuit from a San Francisco sports bar called the Mucky Duck. They, along with countless other businesses and residential subscribers, accused the NFL and DirecTV, the exclusive distributor for out-of-market games, of price gouging for “Sunday Ticket.” Can you believe it’s been over a decade since this battle started? Back in 2024, a Los Angeles federal jury actually sided with the subscribers, finding the NFL liable for a staggering $4.6 billion to residential customers and another $96.9 million for commercial subscribers. That was a huge moment, a win for the little guy. But then, a district judge threw a wrench into the works, setting aside that jury decision. Why? The judge excluded the subscribers’ expert testimony, calling it “unfounded and unreliable.”
The Appeals Court Drops the Hammer, Sort Of
Fast forward to this past Friday, October 30, 2026, and the San Francisco-based Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighed in. This is where it gets wild. The court ruled that the district court “abused its discretion” by excluding that expert testimony. That’s a big deal. They revived the original finding that the NFL was liable, meaning the league *did* do something wrong. But here’s the kicker: even while saying the NFL was liable, the appeals court ordered a *new* trial to determine the damages. They said the jury’s original $4.7 billion award was “not based on a proper consideration of the evidence,” instead calling it “speculation or guesswork.” So, the NFL is still on the hook, but that massive payout? Gone. Poof.
The NFL’s Stance: “Fan-Friendly”?
Of course, the NFL had something to say about all of this. In a statement released Friday, the league argued its “media distribution strategy” is the best in the business. “We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features 100 percent of 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 RedZone, Sunday Ticket and NFL Plus, is by far the most fan-friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment,” the NFL said, according to Sportico. “Fan-friendly” when you’re talking about a multi-billion dollar lawsuit alleging overcharging? That’s certainly one way to spin it.
This whole “Sunday Ticket” saga is far from over. The appeals court has kicked the ball back, meaning the NFL is still staring down a new trial to figure out just how much they owe. It’s a long way from a final whistle on this one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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