Plaintiffs Urge Approval of MLB/Comcast/DirecTV Class-Action Settlement
Citing Major League Baseball and various pay-TV defendants having agreed to offer various choices to consumers, such as the upcoming "Follow Your Team" option for MLB.tv, the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against Comcast, DirecTV, MLB and some regional sports…
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networks are asking for final approval of the settlement. In a memorandum (in Pacer) in support Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Fernanda Garber et al. called the settlement "fair, adequate and reasonable" and asked for final approval. The fairness hearing is April 25, according to court documents. Various MLB fans who bought out-of-market packages at what they claimed were inflated prices sued MLB, the multichannel video programming distributors and individual MLB teams in 2012, claiming the agreement MLB had with the pay-TV companies for distribution of games online and on TV was an "illegal cartel," stifling competition (see 1601210032). The plaintiffs said the defendants certified compliance this month with the notice plan, and of the millions of class members notified via mailings or other notifications by MLB, Comcast and DirecTV or through banner advertisements online, 24 exclusion requests and six objections were received.