Overview
A putative class action complaint filed May 9 against Major League Baseball alleges that MLB's internet and cable subscription packages (that require subscribers to pay for all games for all 30 teams regardless of rooting interest) and "blackout" rules (where games played within a certain geographical location are not shown to subscribers within that location) violate Section 1 of the Sherman Act. This complaint follows on a suit by the same firms against the NHL, alleging almost identical violations of the antitrust laws. Baseball, unique amongst American sports leagues, however, has long had a judicially recognized antitrust exemption. For a full take, see Alison Frankel for Reuters.