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Court Bars MLS Antitrust Claim, Declares Global Player Market

7/8/2026

Summary

**Court Blocks MLS Claim**

A federal district court ruled MLS’s single-entity structure blocks a Sherman Act §1 conspiracy claim.
Eight players sued in Fraser v. MLS alleging §§1 and 2 violations.
A jury defined the market as all professional soccer players worldwide, rejecting a U.S.-only market view.
Observers say MLS’s recruitment of stars like Lionel Messi could weaken its single-entity antitrust shield.

Summary

**Apple Secures MLS**

Apple secured exclusive streaming rights to Major League Soccer (MLS) games under the MLS-Apple deal.
Lionel Messi’s popularity has driven higher MLS viewership, prompting regulators to examine the Apple agreement for antitrust issues.
Nicholas J. Nardini argues that MLS’s single-entity structure may limit antitrust immunity for the Apple contract.
Nathaniel Grow calls the single-entity model an antitrust nullity and questions the deal’s revenue-sharing terms.

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**Court Blocks MLS Claim**

A federal district court ruled MLS’s single-entity structure blocks a Sherman Act §1 conspiracy claim.
Eight players sued in Fraser v. MLS alleging §§1 and 2 violations.
A jury defined the market as all professional soccer players worldwide, rejecting a U.S.-only market view.
Observers say MLS’s recruitment of stars like Lionel Messi could weaken its single-entity antitrust shield.

1 / 2