We can all agree that NFL apparel is expensive. A new lawsuit against the NFL claims that antitrust violations are a big part of the reason.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the National Football League (NFL) and sports merchandise leader Fanatics in a Manhattan federal court. An Illinois resident accuses the NFL and its 32 teams of conspiring with Fanatics, based in Jacksonville, Florida, to monopolize the online retail market for licensed sports merchandise like jerseys and t-shirts. The suit claims this has led to consumers paying artificially high prices due to stifled competition.
The lawsuit alleges that instead of engaging in competitive sales, the NFL and its teams have effectively given Fanatics exclusive control over the market, with the sports merchandise company sharing its monopoly profits with the teams. This arrangement is said to have disadvantaged other retailers.