The next “key date” is Wednesday, July 31 -- when Judge Philip Gutierrez will “conduct a hearing on the NFL’s motion for judgment as a matter of law"Ryan Kang/Getty Images
As the fallout from
the verdict in the NFL “Sunday Ticket” class action lawsuit continues to unfold, the “magnitude of the verdict makes it a certainty” that the case will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court by “whichever side is holding the L after the first level of the appellate process,” according to Mike Florio of PRO FOOTBALL TALK. Florio noted the next “key date” is July 31 -- when Judge Philip Gutierrez will “conduct a hearing on the NFL’s motion for judgment as a matter of law.” Florio wrote “based on his comments from earlier this month in open court, it’s possible” that Gutierrez will “take the entire verdict, crumple it into a ball, and throw it in the trash.” It would have been “far less conspicuous” if Gutierrez had ruled on the motion “before the verdict was entered, and not after.” Florio: “He might have been hoping that the jury would find in the NFL’s favor. Now that the jury has spoken, it will become much harder for the judge to take it away” (
NBCSPORTS.com, 6/29).
RELATED: What’s next for NFL in 'Sunday Ticket' case after ruling comes down against the league?
POTENTIAL CHANGE AFOOT: In Boston, Ben Volin wrote the verdict was “a rare and convincing loss for the NFL in court.” In the “short term," the NFL’s "loss could be the fans’ gain.” Even with an appeal coming, the NFL may “decide to go forward with slimmed-down options of Sunday Ticket, such as ESPN’s proposed $70 annual plan for one team, or putting out-of-market games on cable.” In the “long term,” this lawsuit "could bring wholesale changes to the NFL’s economics and competitive balance.” If the league loses its appeals, the NFL “could be forced to abandon its practice of selling TV rights collectively and instead require each team to sell its own rights,” as done in MLB, NBA, and NHL. Volin: “This could create a huge financial imbalance between the haves (Cowboys, Patriots, 49ers) and have-nots (Bengals, Jaguars, Buccaneers) and hurt the NFL’s best selling point, competitive balance” (
BOSTON GLOBE, 6/29).
LOOKING AHEAD: In Vancouver, Tom Mayenknecht wrote the "money potentially lost in the rearview mirror is one thing," but the "real impact of the trial verdict is future facing." Mayenknecht wrote the impacts "will strike at the very heart of the NFL’s TV model, one that is built upon national media rights only." Rarely is the NFL "told what to do," but in this case, pending the appeal process, consumers "have successfully pushed back and dented ‘The Shield’ in dramatic fashion” (
Vancouver PROVINCE, 6/28).
