A Mamaroneck-based wrestling league scored a victory in its antitrust lawsuit against Stamford-headquartered WWE (NYSE:WWE).
According to Reuters report, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, rejected an effort by WWE to dismiss the lawsuit brought by MLW Media, stating the latter had presented enough “circumstantial” evidence to show WWE uses its market dominance to monopolize the professional wrestling industry.
MLW stated WWE commands about 92% of revenue from U.S. media rights for professional wrestling while its closest rival, All Elite Wrestling, only commands 6% and all other wrestling leagues divide up the remaining 2%. MLW accused WWE of blocking access to major media outlets through its exclusive deals with Fox and Comcast”™s NBCUniversal.
The judge ruled that WWE “had a substantial effect in foreclosing competitors from the professional wrestling media rights market.”
MLW began its lawsuit, MLW Media LLC v World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., in January 2022.
Photo: WWE wrestlers Edge and Austin Theory in combat; courtesy WWE
