The Pittsburgh Steelers organization may soon face a challenging situation due to a recent legal ruling involving the NFL. The decision in the antitrust NFL Sunday Ticket lawsuit could potentially cost the Steelers, along with the other 31 NFL teams, a substantial amount of money. According to NBC's Mike Florio, if the NFL teams are required to make payments, each team could owe approximately $450 million.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Team President and Owner Art Rooney II looks on before a game.
This is a significant financial burden for every team. Despite the NFL being a multi-billion dollar industry and its teams generating considerable revenue, covering such a large sum will be a difficult task. Fortunately, the money owed will not affect the teams' salary caps, which is some relief for Steelers Owner and Team President Art Rooney II.
The full impact of this financial obligation on all organizations remains uncertain. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy provided his perspective, suggesting that this outcome will force NFL teams to make tough decisions moving forward.
"Unfortunately, I think it's going to cost a lot of people their jobs, including scouts. Each owner will be on hook for almost $500M, so you know they're going to look to trim staff."
In Pittsburgh, the man responsible for addressing this financial burden is Rooney. The Steelers operate their franchise more modestly compared to other NFL teams and owners. The NFL's appeal of this decision could take a long time to resolve. If Pittsburgh and the other 31 NFL teams are required to pay, it could lead to some very difficult decisions for Rooney.
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Pittsburgh Steelers' Art Rooney II visits the field before a game against the Cleveland Browns.
The NFL was found in violation of offering their Sunday Ticket package at an excessively high price. They are also accused of limiting competition by offering the service exclusively through a satellite provider. There are many complexities in this case, and the NFL plans to appeal the final decision.
The NFL is likely to take this decision to the Supreme Court, as they are unhappy with the ruling. The league believes they have acted correctly and ethically. In an article released by ESPN, the NFL issued a statement regarding 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 plans to contest the decision made by the eight-person jury, asserting with confidence that the package they offered was well within their rights.
"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."
Steelers Fans Are Eager To See How This Verdict Impacts Their Organization
Pittsburgh fans and football enthusiasts everywhere will be closely watching the outcome of the appeal. Currently, every NFL team, including Pittsburgh, is grappling with a significant financial burden. It will be intriguing to see how the appeal unfolds, as fans who used the service could potentially receive substantial settlement checks. However, this will only be determined once the appeal is resolved, and the timeline for its completion remains uncertain. There is also the possibility that the case could proceed as a class action.
AP Photo
Steelers Team President Art Rooney II and Head Coach Mike Tomlin oversee practice during the 2021 minicamp in Pittsburgh.
There are still many complexities in the ruling. With the appeal pending and a large financial strain on NFL franchises, the ideal outcome would be the ruling being overturned. Nonetheless, it appears likely that some financial penalties will be imposed on every NFL team. Rooney, in particular, may face difficult decisions if required to pay this hefty sum. Pittsburgh fans will continue to stay focused on the NFL and the developments surrounding the appeal.
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