There is no such thing as an "offseason" for the NFL, and that's especially true this year. The NFL's Sunday Ticket package, which is the only way for football fans to watch non-prime-time games out of market, is being called into question in a class-action lawsuit filed by subscribers, and some of the biggest names in the NFL have been called to testify.
As explained by the Associated Press, this class-action covers 2.4 million subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for Sunday Ticket from 2011 through 2022, and claims the NFL broke antitrust laws by selling it at an inflated price. Subscribers also claim the NFL restricted potential competition.
"We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product. Not just on pricing but quality," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell testified on Monday, via the AP. "Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not. I'm sure there were fans who said it was too costly."
Another big name called to testify is Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who also reportedly defended the NFL's current broadcast model. If it were not for Sunday Ticket, one option for NFL teams could be for clubs to sell their out-of-market rights completely separate. As you can imagine, "America's Team" would rake in the dough if that were the new reality. Still, Jones didn't seem too interested in the possibility, and took a shot at the Cincinnati Bengals as well.
"I am convinced I would make a lot more money than the Bengals," Jones said, via AP. "I'm completely against each team doing TV deals. It is flawed."
Jones could have compared his money-making machine to any NFL team in a smaller market -- really any NFL team at all. Instead, he chose the Bengals. Why? Pro Football Talk mentions that Jones and Bengals owner Mike Brown have a "longstanding feud" when it comes to revenue sharing.
On the field, Dallas owns the all-time series vs. Cincinnati 10-4, and the Cowboys haven't dropped a game to the Bengals since 2004.
