The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ordered Yahoo to pay a Dallas promotions company $4.4 million after it backed out of a deal to offer a $1 billion prize for any person who correctly predicted the winners of all 63 games during the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The Aug. 21 decision in SCA Promotions v. Yahoo! reversed an earlier trial court judgment that dismissed a breach of contract claim against the web portal and rendered a $4.4 million judgment in favor of the plaintiff that sued them.

Yahoo wanted to sponsor a perfect bracket contest in connection with the 2014 NCAA tournament with a $1 billion prize so it contracted with SCA Promotions, a Dallas company that provides risk management for marketing and prize promotions.