ESPN Ordered to Pay DISH $4.86 Million

NEW YORK: A federal jury has sided with DISH Network in a dispute over licensing rates for sports broadcasts, ordering ESPN to pay $4.86 million in damages.

DISH had filed a claim that ESPN violated an eight-year broadcast licensing agreement by offering better rates to competitors. The jury ruled in DISH’s favor, finding that ESPN let other distributors pay lower rates for the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes. This violated a most-favored-nation clause in the 2005 licensing deal. The jury did, however, reject the other claims by the company. DISH had originally been seeking $152 million in damages, but will only be awarded $4.86 million.