Inflate-Gate: The NFL Sunday Ticket’s Artificially Inflated Prices and the Future of NFL Broadcasting Rights

In 2015, in In re National Football League’s Sunday Ticket Antitrust Litigation, four plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit against the National Football League (NFL) alleging that the league violated antitrust laws through its contract with NFL Sunday Ticket—a programming package that the NFL advertises as “the ultimate fan experience.” Although the Sports Broadcasting Act has long protected the NFL from antitrust challenges to its telecasting contracts, some of these contracts, like the one with NFL Sunday Ticket, may not fall under its purview. The case is currently working through the appeals process, and its implications could completely alter the American sports broadcasting landscape. This Note examines the consequences of both potential outcomes of the litigation, ultimately arguing that a ruling for the plaintiffs would create a more competitive market for broadcasting rights which would benefit consumers. Additionally, because the NFL and other professional sports leagues are now multi-billion-dollar industries, this Note argues that Congress should repeal the Sports Broadcasting Act to create a legal landscape that best accomplishes the goals of the Sherman Antitrust Act.