Report: Steelers Lose Millions in NFL Lawsuit
The Pittsburgh Steelers were significantly impacted after the league faced a lawsuit.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers, along with the rest of the NFL teams, find themselves entangled in a significant legal issue. A class-action lawsuit against the league has resulted in a ruling against the NFL, potentially leading to fines exceeding $4 billion.
This massive amount is expected to be distributed among all 32 NFL franchises, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. In a trial update, Florio revealed how the league plans to repay the money.
“Whatever the final amount,” he wrote, “it will be split equally among the 32 teams. On the low side, that’s $384 million. On the high end, it’s $450 million per team.”
The league aims to challenge the ruling or, at the very least, prolong the decision through appeals. In a statement issued to Pro Football Talk and other media outlets, the NFL vowed to contest the decision.
“We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit,” the league said in their statement. “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. 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 Gutierrez throughout the trial.”
If the verdict ultimately stands, the Steelers will be out nearly half a billion dollars.
Many can’t help but predict what the loss of revenue means for team employees. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy believes staff members, specifically scouts, will suffer due to this. On his X account, he voiced the concern.
The Steelers are known as one of the most supportive organizations in the league. They show loyalty to their employees, whether they are part of the coaching staff, executive team, or facility operations. Hopefully, Art Rooney II and the ownership team can preserve this culture despite facing such a loss. However, there is a concerning possibility that the Steelers may need to cut their budget to compensate for the deficit. If this happens, off-field employees are likely to be the most affected.
