Supreme Court Rejects NFL’s Bid for Antitrust Protection

The Supreme Court rejected the National Football League's request for broad antitrust law protection, saying that it must be considered 32 separate teams - not one large business - when selling branded items like jerseys and caps.

The Court stated that: "although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL brand, they are still separate, profit-maximizing entities, and their interests in licensing team trademarks are not necessarily aligned."  In doing so the Court reversed a Seventh Circuit ruling dismissing an antitrust suit brought against the league by one of its former hat makers.  Specifically, the Court stated that teams compete against each other "to attract fans, for gate receipts and for contracts with managerial and playing personnel." 

See the Supreme Court's opinion: Am. Needle v. NFL, 2010 U.S. LEXIS 4166 (May 24, 2010).