MLB this morning reached a settlement with plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit regarding the league’s long-standing TV market territories and blackout policies. The deal was reached mere minutes before a trial was set to begin today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. No details regarding the settlement have been filed yet with the court, though the deal avoids a trial that was scheduled to last roughly two weeks and include several high-ranking league and team officials. The Garber plaintiffs had alleged the league’s current market territories and blackout policies violated federal antitrust laws and restricted consumer choice. Conversely, MLB argued its broadcast system was a crucial component of league competitive balance, and has amplified the availability and quality of game broadcasts. Recent moves by MLB to begin in-market streaming this coming season for 15 clubs served by Fox Sports' RSNs, as well as to offer a new single-team option for the MLB.TV out-of-market package, appeared to address many of the issues raised in the lawsuit.
