NFL Fanatics Successfully Defend Antitrust Suit Regarding Merchandise Limitations
In a significant legal development, U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter Jr. has dismissed a major antitrust lawsuit against the National Football League (NFL) and Fanatics, a leading sports merchandise company. The lawsuit, filed by Casey's Distributing, a Nebraska-based company specialising in licensed apparel and novelties, alleged that the NFL and Fanatics conspired to exclude competitors from selling NFL-licensed products on Amazon's marketplace.
The judge ruled that Casey's did not provide enough evidence to prove an antitrust injury, stating that the law aims to protect competition, not competitors. However, the court allowed the possibility for amendment and refiling of the complaint by July 30, 2025.
This dismissal does not mark the end of the legal battle, as the case remains open. It is worth noting that the NFL's approach to tightly controlling the licensing and distribution of its products received legal validation with this ruling.
The NFL's licensing arm, NFL Properties, manages the intellectual property of the league and teams, including for the licensing of apparel, merchandise, and other official products. The league's efforts to maintain control over these aspects have been a subject of controversy, with accusations of restricting consumer choice and raising prices.
Fanatics, which is on pace for about $12 billion in revenue next year, has faced similar antitrust challenges for both its apparel and collectibles divisions. In 2019, it scored a victory in a similar lawsuit brought by Casey's challenging its relationship with Major League Baseball (MLB).
The lawsuit against the NFL and Fanatics alleged that NFL Properties' policies restrict the sale of NFL licensed products through Amazon and other third-party online marketplaces, and that these policies allegedly confer too much market power to the NFL Players Association's chosen licensees, including Fanatics.
Separately, Fanatics faces ongoing antitrust litigation with Panini concerning trading card licenses that overlap with Fanatics’ acquired NFL licenses. Discovery in this case is scheduled to continue through the end of 2026.
In addition, a new antitrust case against Fanatics was filed in July 2025 in the New York Southern District Court, indicating continued legal scrutiny of Fanatics’ licensing practices.
The dismissal of the Casey's lawsuit should give the NFL more confidence that its business model for online sales of official products will withstand legal scrutiny. However, it is clear that the issue of antitrust challenges in sports merchandising is far from resolved.
Sources: 1. Casey's Distributing Sues NFL, Fanatics Over Amazon Exclusivity 2. Judge Dismisses NFL Antitrust Lawsuit Over Amazon Sales 3. Fanatics Faces Antitrust Litigation Over NFL Trading Card Licenses 4. New Antitrust Case Filed Against Fanatics in New York
- The NFL's business model for online sales of official products received a boost with the dismissal of the antitrust lawsuit filed by Casey's Distributing, suggesting that the model may withstand future legal scrutiny.
- The ruling in the NFL and Fanatics antitrust lawsuit indicates that the tight control the NFL maintains over the licensing and distribution of its products may be legal, even in the face of accusations of restricting consumer choice and raising prices.
- Despite the dismissal of the case, Fanatics continues to face ongoing antitrust litigation, including a case concerning trading card licenses that overlap with its NFL licenses, and a new case filed in July 2025 in the New York Southern District Court.
- The legal battle surrounding the NFL, Fanatics, and antitrust laws is not exclusive to football, as Fanatics has also faced similar challenges in other areas of commerce, such as apparel and collectibles, in lawsuits relating to Major League Baseball.
