MLB Broadcast Monopoly Class Action Lawsuit Settlement

Major League Baseball (MLB) agreed to lower the price of broadcasting packages and increase its availability to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged the professional baseball organization conspired with Comcast and DIRECTV to create a broadcast monopoly.

A group of baseball fans who filed the MLB lawsuit claimed that regional agreements limited their ability to watch games. In addition, the plaintiffs alleged that buying the complete MLB streaming service offered online cost too much, which limited its competitive effect on cable and satellite subscriptions.

MLB reached the antitrust class action settlement in January, just before they were set to start a nine-day trial in New York.

The broadcast monopoly class action lawsuit originally included the National Hockey League (NHL) but the organization agreed to its own settlement last June.

Who’s Eligible

The MLB broadcasting class action lawsuit settlement is open to all Class Members who purchased MLB.TV and/or MLB Extra Innings through either Comcast or DIRECTV between May 9, 2008 and Jan. 18, 2016.

Class Members also include all U.S. residents who purchased television service from DIRECTV and/or Comcast, or their subsidiaries, which included MLB Extra Innings, and/or who purchased MLB.TV from Major League Baseball or its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Potential Award

Varies.

Class Members will have the following benefits provided under the MLB class action settlement:

• The cost of MLB.TV will lower to $109.99 for 2016. MLB will not be allowed to increase the price by more than 3% each year through 2020.
• Comcast and DIRECTV will offer the full season MLB Extra Innings product at a 12.5% discount from the 2015 price.
• MLB.TV will offer single-team packages for out-of-market games. For example, Class Members can subscribe to a stream of just the Kansas City Royals’ games for $84.99 for the full 2016 season. MLB will not be allowed to raise the price of the single-team packages by more than 3% for the next four years. 
• MLB agreed to make the single-team packages available to Comcast and DIRECTV as well, so they can offer unbundled seasonal packages of single-team games for each and every MLB Club available through MLB Extra Innings.
• MLB.TV purchasers who subscribe to Comcast, DIRECTV, or certain other cable, satellite or other providers will be able to purchase a “Follow Your Team” option that allows them to receive telecasts of their favorite out-of-market team’s broadcaster without any blackouts. This product will cost $10 more than a standard MLB.TV package.
• MLB will seek to reach agreements with Comcast, Root Sports, and Fox regional sports networks to offer in-market streaming of their live baseball telecasts. If in-market streaming is not available for all of the teams whose games are broadcast by those networks by 2017, MLB will be prohibited from increasing prices for any of the above MLB.TV products through 2020.
• MLB will offer live streaming of any in-market team’s telecasts produced by Comcast, Root Sports, or Fox regional sports networks to any customer who is unable to obtain multi-channel video provider distributor service or virtual multi-channel video provider distributor service at his or her residence.

Proof of Purchase

N/A

Class Members do NOT need to submit a Claim Form to obtain these benefits. They will be provided automatically.

If you want to object or be excluded from the MLB settlement, Class Members must send a letter to the Claims Administrator by April 15, 2016.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS »

Exclusion or Objection Deadline

04/15/2016

In order to either object or be excluded from the MLB settlement, individuals must send a letter by mail clearly stating that you object/want to be excluded from the Settlement.

In the letter, individuals must include their name, address, telephone number, signature, and date, and mail your request for exclusion to:

Garber v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
c/o Heffler Claims Group
P.O. Box 58339
Philadelphia, PA 19102-8339

Case Name

Garber, et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, et al., Case No. 1:12-CV-03704, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Final Hearing

4/25/2016

Settlement Website

www.MLBBroadcastingSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Garber v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
c/o Heffler Claims Group
Po Box 58339
Philadelphia, PA 19102-8339
877-852-8871

Class Counsel

Howard I. Langer
Edward A. Diver
Peter E. Leckman
LANGER GROGAN & DIVER PC

Jeffrey B. Dubner
COHEN MILSTEIN SELLERS & TOLL PLLC

Robert J. LaRocca
KOHN SWIFT & GRAF PC

Marc I. Gross
Adam G. Kurtz
POMERANTZ LLP

Joshua D. Snyder
BONI & ZACK LLC

Defense Counsel

Brad Ruskin
Jennifer Scullion
Jordan Leader
Stephen Ahron
Adrian Fontecilla
Colin Kass
Carl Forbes, Jr.
Shawn Ledingham
PROSKAUER ROSE LLP

Daniel J. Toal
Alexandra M. Walsh
Beth A. Wilkinson
William Y. Durbin
PAUL WEISS RIFKIND WHARTON & GARRISON LLP

John E. Schmidtlein
Kenneth C. Smurzynski
William J. Vigen
James H. Weingarten
WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY LLP

Jonathan D. Schiller
Alan B. Vickery
Christopher E. Duffy
BOIES SCHILLER & FLEXNER LLP

Arthur J. Burke
David B. Toscano
James W. Haldin
DAVIS POLK & WARDWELL LLP

Louis A. Karasik
Andrew E. Paris
Stephanie A. Jones
ALSTON & BIRD LLP