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MLW Media LLC accused WWE and its Chief
Executive Vince McMahon of threatening content partners for
doing business with MLW, to help protect its 85% share of the
U.S. market for professional wrestling broadcasting rights.
The Mamaroneck, New York-based plaintiff said WWE's interference
in 2021 caused Vice TV to end talks to air new MLW content, and
led to a 40% drop in ticket sales after Fox Corp's Tubi
streaming service abandoned a licensing agreement the night
before it was to be publicly announced.
MLW also accused Stamford, Connecticut-based WWE of inducing MLW
wrestlers to break exclusive contracts and airing MLW footage
without permission, to combat a five-year decline in the
popularity of its own programs.
WWE's "pattern of predatory and exclusionary conduct" reduces
competition and irreparably harms consumers by depriving them of
content and keeping prices high, MLW said.
"This anti-competitive behavior has to stop," MLW Chief
Executive Court Bauer said in a statement.
The complaint was filed in San Francisco federal court.
In an emailed statement, WWE said it believed MLW's claims had
no merit and that it intended to vigorously defend itself.
McMahon was not named as a defendant.
MLW said U.S. television rights for two WWE programs, WWE Raw
and WWE Smackdown, are worth $470 million.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified triple and other damages.
WWE shares closed Tuesday up 38 cents at $51.54. They have risen
9% in the last year, while the Russell 1000, which includes WWE,
is up 21%.
The case is MLW Media LLC v World Wrestling Entertainment Inc,
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.
22-00179.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Richard
Pullin)
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