Federal judge dismisses lawsuit claiming Fanatics, pro sports leagues monopolized trading card industry

A class action lawsuit against Fanatics, the NFL, NBA, MLB, their players associations, and OneTeam was dismissed by a New York federal judge on all counts. The suit claimed the defendants conspired to monopolize the trading card market, driving up prices for consumers. However, Judge Laura Taylor Swain ruled that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate they had overpaid or would imminently overpay for trading cards.

Fanatics argued the lawsuit was “baseless and fundamentally flawed,” emphasizing they hadn’t even produced the cards in question. The court also noted that, at the time the lawsuit was filed, Panini held licenses for NFL and NBA cards, and Topps, acquired by Fanatics, hadn’t yet released NBA-licensed cards. The judge also found the plaintiffs didn’t adequately explain price differences between cards, attributing them to factors beyond alleged anticompetitive conduct.

While this class action suit was dismissed, Panini’s separate antitrust lawsuit against Fanatics remains ongoing, accusing Fanatics of anticompetitive behavior after acquiring exclusive licensing rights from the NBA and NFL. Fanatics has countersued, alleging Panini engaged in unfair trade practices to force a sale of its licenses.

(Source：Fox Business)