A new damages trial keeps the NFL’s Sunday Ticket distribution strategy under scrutiny, while a staffing announcement offers a limited glimpse of the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery organization.
A federal appeals court has revived a jury’s finding of liability in the antitrust case over the NFL’s Sunday Ticket package, ordering a new trial on damages and prolonging a legal challenge to how the league distributes out-of-market games. The ruling returns the case to the damages question without determining what consumers may ultimately be owed.
The Ninth Circuit reinstated the liability verdict after finding that the trial court improperly excluded subscriber expert testimony, Deadline reported on Oct. 30. The new proceeding concerns damages, not a fresh determination of liability. That distinction matters: the appeals court preserved a major part of the jury’s verdict, but did not settle the amount of any potential recovery. The available reporting does not establish what amount could be awarded, so an earlier jury award should not be treated as a final measure of consumer losses.
The NFL said it was disappointed and continues to regard its distribution strategy as “the most fan-friendly” in sports and entertainment. The league is considering further appellate review, Deadline reported. That defense frames the dispute as a question of access and choice. But the case’s return to court underscores the difference between a company’s preferred description of its service and judicial scrutiny of how it sells and distributes a product.
Sunday Ticket has since changed platforms. The package is no longer on DirecTV; the NFL’s current deal with YouTube TV began in 2023, according to the supplied reporting. The change does not resolve claims about earlier seasons or establish whether the current arrangement offers fans better access. The source material provides no evidence on current prices, viewing choices or effects on competing distributors.
Those questions matter when a major sports league controls valuable live programming and negotiates distribution with large platforms. For fans, the practical concern is whether they can choose a service that fits their budget and needs. For smaller distributors, exclusive arrangements can determine whether they can compete for viewers. The ruling does not answer those broader questions, but it keeps the league’s conduct subject to judicial examination.
The damages phase could also shape how the court assesses alleged harm. The appeals court found that subscriber expert testimony was improperly excluded, meaning the evidence will receive another hearing. The supplied material does not describe the expert’s conclusions, so it would be premature to characterize the eventual damages record or predict its outcome.
A separate development at Skydance offers a limited view of another major media-company transition. Chief Communications Officer Melissa Zukerman named Laura Watson, Shannon Buck, Virginia Fout and Deborah Marcus to her leadership team at the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery organization, Deadline reported. Buck previously led communications for Paramount+, while Fout is joining as head of global and executive events.
Seven communications executives are leaving the combined organization, the report said. Zukerman also plans to add leaders for financial communications and product and technology communications, including work involving AI tools for filmmakers and creatives. These staffing moves are not evidence of anticompetitive conduct, and the available reporting does not explain their connection to merger review or regulatory conditions. They do show that organizational integration continues after the merger, as leadership roles are reshaped.
The developments should not be conflated: one is an active antitrust case against the NFL; the other is a post-merger personnel announcement. The source material provides no new FTC or Justice Department action, details of regulatory scrutiny of the Paramount-Warner Bros. combination, or accounting of effects on customers and independent businesses. On Sunday Ticket, the takeaway is narrower but consequential: a jury’s liability finding remains alive, the league is weighing its next legal move, and the damages dispute is not over.
Greg Sanders serves as the Senior Correspondent for Corporate Power and Antitrust at Just Right News, where he brings a principled, conservative perspective to the complex intersection of big business, government regulation, and the American consumer. With a career dedicated to investigative depth and economic clarity, Greg has become a leading voice in examining how the consolidation of industry power impacts the foundational values of the free market and individual liberty.
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Greg’s reporting is deeply informed by the Western spirit of independence and a healthy skepticism of centralized authority. Growing up in the shadows of the Rockies, he witnessed firsthand the importance of local entrepreneurship and the vital role that small-medium enterprises play in sustaining vibrant communities. This upbringing instilled in him a belief that the American Dream is best preserved when the playing field remains level and when competition—rather than backroom deals between corporate lobbyists and federal regulators—dictates success. For Greg, the rugged individualism of his home state serves as a constant reminder that the economy should serve the people, not the other way around.
Now based in Chicago, Illinois, Greg operates from the heart of the nation’s industrial and financial crossroads. His location in the Midwest provides him with a unique vantage point to observe the real-world consequences of corporate overreach. From the boardrooms of the Loop to the manufacturing hubs that define the region, he tracks the movement of capital and the shifting tides of market influence. Chicago’s history as a center of trade and labor offers a rich backdrop for his work, allowing him to bridge the gap between high-level economic theory and the lived experiences of hardworking Americans who feel the squeeze of monopolistic practices.
At Just Right News, Greg’s beat focuses on the “new monopolies” and the rise of “woke” corporate culture. He argues that when corporations become too large, they often abandon their fiduciary duties to shareholders in favor of social engineering and political posturing. His reporting seeks to hold these “Titans” accountable, ensuring that the power of the purse is not used to silence dissent or bypass the democratic process. He is a firm advocate for the idea that true conservatism requires a vigilant defense of competition, preventing any single entity—public or private—from exerting undue control over the lives of citizens.
This mission is most clearly seen in his acclaimed feature series, “The Titans and the Toll.” In this ongoing project, Greg explores the human cost of market consolidation, from the erosion of consumer choice to the decline of local economies. Through rigorous analysis and boots-on-the-ground reporting, he documents how the concentration of power in sectors like tech, agriculture, and finance creates a “toll” paid by the average family.
Greg Sanders remains committed to the idea that a transparent, competitive market is the greatest engine for prosperity ever devised. Through his work at Just Right News, he continues to provide the essential oversight necessary to protect that engine from the encroaching influence of corporate giants and the bureaucratic structures that enable them.