The California federal trial in a multibillion-dollar antitrust suit against the NFL by Sunday Ticket subscribers kicked off Wednesday with the seating of eight jurors and two alternates, after some potential jurors were eliminated for expressing strong views on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, player concussions, and the league’s significant wealth.
The long-running case was brought by a class of NFL fans who purchased the NFL Sunday Ticket package through DirecTV, and another class of businesses such as bars and restaurants that purchased the package. Both are challenging the exclusivity agreement the NFL has with DirecTV for Sunday Ticket.
NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust Trial
A handful of jurors questioned by U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez were eliminated for cause after expressing their view of the NFL as a greedy organization, while the league used at least one of its peremptory challenges to dismiss a juror who expressed concern over players suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which is a traumatic brain injury some former players have been diagnosed with after death believed to be caused by concussions.
