Apple’s stance on the NFL Sunday Ticket antitrust lawsuit

Highlights

1. The NFL is involved in an antitrust lawsuit for NFL Sunday Ticket due to pricing and limitations.
2. Apple has been served with a subpoena to provide information on the case, but they are not complying unless ordered to by a judge.
3. Google landed the NFL Sunday Ticket deal on YouTube and YouTube TV, but they are also facing resistance in terms of providing more information regarding their discussions with the NFL.
4. The lawsuit alleges that the NFL is violating antitrust laws by limiting the number of games available outside of the NFL Sunday Ticket package and raising its pricing.

NFL Sunday Ticket Lawsuit: Apple Refuses Subpoena, Google Also Resistant

The NFL is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit for its NFL Sunday Ticket, which is under scrutiny for its high price and limitations. In relation to this lawsuit, the plaintiffs have served Apple with a subpoena, believing that the tech giant possesses relevant information. However, Apple has refused to comply with the subpoena, citing irrelevance and claiming that the required testimony from Apple senior executive, Eddy Cue, would be overly burdensome unless ordered by a judge.

The judge has yet to rule on Apple’s subpoena request, but it should be noted that Apple did not secure the NFL Sunday Ticket, which is now under the ownership of Google on YouTube and YouTube TV. Just like Apple, Google has also resisted efforts to obtain additional information regarding its discussions with the NFL about Sunday Ticket. Therefore, Google is not completely protected from this lawsuit.

The Antitrust Lawsuit Explained

Why is the NFL being sued? The answer is simple. The lawsuit, a class-action case, alleges that the NFL is violating antitrust laws by limiting the availability of games outside of the NFL Sunday Ticket package. Consequently, fans are forced to subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket if they want to watch the games, all while the price of the package continues to rise. To watch out-of-market games in the current season, fans without YouTube TV would have to pay a hefty $449 for the whole season, excluding local and primetime games.

The NFL Sunday Ticket’s restrictions have always been peculiar, as it only allows viewers to watch out-of-market games while excluding local and primetime games. It remains to be seen if this lawsuit will lead to any changes in the NFL’s package.