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JamSports And Clear Channel
To Cross Paths In Court |
Chicago-based promoter JamSports has filed a lawsuit against Clear Channel alleging the company “used its market power to keep” JamSports from promoting American Motorcyclist Association’s (AMA) supercross events, according to Eric Herman of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. JamSports, which in ’01 replaced Clear Channel as the AMA’s official supercross promoter, would have become the AMA’s exclusive promoter from ’03-09 “but the deal fell through, and the [AMA] eventually renewed its contract with Clear Channel.” JamSports claims Clear Channel “threatened stadium owners by saying it would no longer” stage events at their venues if they hosted JamSports events. Clear Channel also “put out the word it would put on its own supercross races if [JamSports] became the [AMA’s] promoter of choice, and it asked for ‘protection periods’ when venue-owners could not host JamSports’ supercross.” But Clear Channel attorney Chris Gair this week during the case’s opening arguments said, “Clear Channel was an aggressive competitor, and that is a fundamental part of our system. ... That’s competition” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/9).
