Recent Antitrust Settlement a Win-Win for MLB and Sports Fans

Joseph Hanna, Chair of Goldberg Segalla’s Sports and Entertainment Law Practice Group, weighed in on a recent settlement between Major League Baseball and sports fans over territorial blackouts and high prices for sports packages. The settlement came just moments before a trial was set to begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2016.

As Joe concludes in the article for Law360, “They could have gone to trial, and who knows how it would have been decided. The opportunity to settle a case and have what …

January 21, 2016 Litigation / NFL

Fans Lack Standing in Super Bowl Ticket Suit Against NFL

On January 14, 2016, the Third Circuit held that two New Jersey football fans lacked standing to bring a class action suit against the NFL alleging that the league violated state law by withholding public access to an excessive amount of Super Bowl XLVIII tickets.

The suit alleged that the NFL was in violation of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act by releasing only one percent of Super Bowl XLVIII tickets to be sold to the general public, causing ticket prices to be unreasonably high. One …

January 20, 2016 Antitrust / Litigation / MLB

MLB Fans’ Antitrust Suit Settles on Brink of Trial

Tuesday, January 19, 2016 was supposed to mark the beginning of a trial between sports fans and Major League Baseball (MLB) over territorial blackouts and high prices for sports packages. However, just moments before the trial was to begin, the two sides reached a settlement.

The suit began four years ago when a group of sports fans sued the MLB, the National Hockey League (NHL), individual clubs, Comcast, and DirecTV. According to the fans, the defendants agreed in the early 1980s to divide up the …

January 20, 2016 Concussions / Litigation

WWE, Discovery Going Forward in Concussion Suit

United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant of the Connecticut federal circuit lifted the discovery stay in a concussion lawsuit against the WWE on Friday, January 15, 2016. While many similar lawsuits against the wrestling company were transferred and consolidated before Judge Bryant over the last few years, the stay was lifted here only in regards to the claims filed by former wrestlers Evan Singleton and Vito LoGrasso.

Discovery will be limited, however, to allow the plaintiffs the opportunity to determine whether the WWE knew …

January 20, 2016 Boxing

Al Haymon: Would an Exception Knock Out the Rule?

A Quick Look at the Possible Regulatory Implications of Victories for Al Haymon in His Lawsuits with Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions

Ask almost any boxer in the United States who the best manager in the sport is today, and most of them would inevitably say Al Haymon. Likewise, ask almost any boxer in the United States who the best promoter is in the sport today, and most of them would inevitably, erroneously or otherwise, say Al Haymon. And therein lies the regulatory issue …

January 19, 2016 Fantasy Sports

People Asked and the Texas AG Answered: Advisory Opinion Concludes Daily Fantasy Sports Illegal in Texas

On Tuesday January 19, 2016, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued his advisory opinion on the legality of daily fantasy sports (DFS) under Texas law. In short, he did not apply the law to the DFS industry favorably.

Since October 2015, daily fantasy sports — namely, industry leaders DraftKings, Inc. and FanDuel, Inc. — have been threatened nationally under federal statutes, individual state laws, and consumer lawsuits. The firestorm was sparked by news of scandal. On September 27, 2015, a DraftKings employee inadvertently released company …

January 19, 2016 Golf / Litigation

Golf Legend Jack Nicklaus Files Motion to Dismiss Fraudulent Misrepresentation Suit

According to summary judgment motion papers filed by Jack Nicklaus on January 14, 2015, the golf legend asked the court to dismiss the plaintiffs’ $1.5 million claim. The action, filed in Utah federal court, rises from the plaintiffs’ investment in a planned golf course and the defendants’ alleged false representations.

The planned golf course was set to be built in Southern Utah for $3.5 billion. However, the luxury resort went bankrupt in 2009.

Plaintiffs Jeffrey and Judee Donner filed suit in 2011, claiming Jack Nicklaus …

January 19, 2016 Litigation / NFL

Upset Rams Fans Sue Team Over Move to LA

Just one day after the NFL met and approved the relocation of the St. Louis Rams to Inglewood, California, four fans brought a proposed class action against Rams owner, Stan Kroenke, and Rams Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Demoff, alleging that the two made misleading statements that caused fans to continue to spend money on team apparel and tickets believing that the team was staying in St. Louis.

On January 12, 2015, NFL owners met in Houston and approved a plan to move the St. Louis …

January 17, 2016 Litigation / NFL

NJ Judge Sustains Fraud Claims Against Eli Manning in Memorabilia Case

On Wednesday, January 13, 2016, Judge James DeLuca sustained racketeering and fraud claims against NFL quarterback Eli Manning and New York Giants’ equipment manager Joseph Skiba in relation to the 2014 action brought by Eric Inselberg, alleging that Manning and the New York Giants were distributing fake sports memorabilia. While Judge DeLuca sustained the racketeering and fraud claims, he dismissed several other claims alleged by Inselberg.

Eric Inselberg, a memorabilia dealer, brought suit in January of 2014, accusing the New York Giants of engaging in …

January 16, 2016 NBA / NCAA

NCAA Council Loosens Grip on D-I Basketball, NBA Draft

Restrictions became a bit looser for NCAA basketball players hoping to become drafted to the NBA. On January 13, 2016, the NCAA D-I Council adopted a proposal “that, among other provisions, changes the date by which a student must remove his name from the NBA draft.”

Cody McDavis of the Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee stated that the new rule “is a good idea because it provides men’s basketball student-athletes the opportunity to test their dream of going beyond the stage of amateurism into …

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