Three reasons why you should pay attention to NFL's antitrust trial

If the NFL loses, customers could see lower prices, new provider options

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that when the NFL was searching for a new "NFL Sunday Ticket" provider after its deal with DirecTV ended, ESPN proposed offering it at a substantially lower rate as well as a single-team package for customers.

The league declined and chose YouTube TV instead because, according to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's deposition testimony, ESPN's lower-price model would hurt league TV partners CBS and Fox, who pay billions to air regional NFL games.

The plaintiffs point to this being a prime example of the league colluding to price gouge customers to save lucrative TV contracts with networks.

Wall Street Journal reporter Joe Flint reported on X that CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus confirmed Kraft's testimony while on the stand Tuesday.

If the jury rules in the plaintiffs' favor, the NFL could be forced to pay up to $21B in damages and also reform its "NFL Sunday Ticket" structure to allow for multiple providers at competitive pricing. That's a potential win for consumers.

If the NFL wins other leagues may be tempted to adopt their business model

Per the Associated Press, the presiding judge is frustrated with the lawyers for the plaintiffs, admonishing them for unnecessary questioning and unrelated arguments. Flint posted a quote from the judge Tuesday.

If the league wins, which is appearing more likely, it could be a green light for other leagues to explore a similar business model to the "NFL Sunday Ticket" — especially with regional networks such as Bally Sports reportedly on the verge of ceasing operations.

The NHL already offers a "Power Play" package with an ESPN+ subscription allowing customers to  stream any game from any regional market.

Regardless of the outcome, football fans should pay attention to rest of the proceedings as the ruling could impact their finances and potentially affect the future availability of games.