Cowboys owner Jerry Jones threw a stray jab at the Cincinnati Bengals while under oath testifying in the ongoing “NFL Sunday Ticket” trial.
The NFL is accused of monopolizing the product of “NFL Sunday Ticket,” selling it at an “inflated” price that was unaffordable to fans, and Jones defended the league’s product — as opposed to teams selling out-of-market rights on their own — on the stand on Monday.
“I am convinced I would make a lot more money than the Bengals,” Jones said via the Associated Press. “I’m completely against each team doing TV deals. It is flawed.”
The lawsuit, for which Jones was summoned to take the stand as a member of the league’s media committee, has been ongoing since 2015 and finally hit trial recently, where Jones and commissioner Roger Goodell took the stand.
Goodell was on the stand for four hours, according to the AP.
“We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product. Not just on pricing but quality,” Goodell said during cross-examination in a Los Angeles courtroom. “Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not. I’m sure there were fans who said it was too costly.”
Jones defended the league’s broadcasting model, despite his Dallas franchise — referred to as “America’s Team” would likely out-earn every other team — including the Bengals, as he testified.
The Cowboys are perennially atop the NFL’s most valuable franchise list; Forbes’ 2023 rankings pegged Dallas at a $9 billion valuation, $2 billion more than No. 2 New England.
Jones is expected to be called to the stand again, the AP reports, alongside television executive Sean McManus of CBS.
The NFL moved it’s “NFL Sunday Ticket” product from DirecTV to YouTube TV after 28 years, ahead of the 2023 season, though it airs games in the local market over free broadcast airwaves.
“We sing it from the mountaintops, We want to reach the broadest possible audience on free television,” Goodell said. “I think we are very pro-consumer. Our partners have found ways to build our fan base.”