Steelers Organization Facing Massive Loss Of Nearly 450 Million Dollars After Lawsuit Ruling

The Pittsburgh Steelers have received some devastating news from the NFL, and they are not alone. The NFL has lost its Sunday Ticket lawsuit and has been ordered to pay nearly $5 billion in damages. A jury found that the NFL violated antitrust laws, leading to this significant financial penalty.

The lawsuit was originally filed by the Mucky Duck Sports Bar in San Francisco back in 2015. Though it was dismissed in 2017, it was revived two years later. On Thursday, the court ruled that the league had indeed violated antitrust laws by deceiving viewers regarding out-of-market Sunday afternoon games available through a premium subscription service.

As a result, all 32 NFL teams, including the Steelers, are responsible for paying their portions of the damages. This $5 billion in damages has tripled over time, with the Steelers' share now approaching $449.6 million.

While this enormous financial burden will impact every franchise, there is a silver lining: the $449.6 million will not affect the salary cap. Legal damages are not considered part of the team's cost structure against the salary cap, meaning the financial hit will not impede the team's ability to sign players or manage their roster.

In an article from ESPN, the NFL released a statement about the verdict, expressing their dissatisfaction and announcing their intent to appeal the decision. 

"We are disappointed with the jury's verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit. We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all 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+, is by far the most fan friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment," the league said.

The NFL will begin contesting this verdict on July 31st. The league maintains that it acted appropriately, whereas the jury concluded that the NFL was being greedy and unfair to its consumers.

"We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit. We thank the jury for their time and service and for the guidance and oversight from Judge [Philip] Gutierrez throughout the trial."

Despite their efforts to overturn the ruling, the Steelers and other NFL teams currently face a substantial financial challenge. This situation highlights the significant impact legal battles can have on professional sports leagues and underscores the importance of adhering to fair competition laws. Fans and stakeholders across the NFL will be closely watching the outcome of the appeal.

Steelers Fans Are Not Impacted Negatively 

For Pittsburgh fans, this news does not directly impact them negatively. If anything it could be a positive for fans as they may receive a settlement check. If the appeal is not successful, all 32 NFL teams will face a massive financial burden. However, this will not affect the salary cap or team dynamics. 

Every team will be able to pay their share and survive the financial hit. While it is not an ideal situation for the NFL and its teams, it does not massively impact the fans. The NFL is a vast market, and this class action lawsuit has been shocking. Football fans around the world will be watching closely to see what happens as this decision is appealed.