A merchandising business and a consumer threw the yellow flag on Fanatics, Inc., and the National Football League, which includes all 32 teams, with two federal antitrust claims filed in San Francisco, CA. The suits allege that the NFL and Fanatics conspired to “strangle the competition” by monopolizing NFL product sales through Amazon’s third-party marketplace, thereby hurting other retailers and raising prices of NFL gear for fans.

The lawsuits were filed by Casey’s Distributing, an online fan-licensed retailer, and Ohio consumer Natalie Wheeler Hastings. The NFL’s adopted distribution policy, instilled in 2015, requires licensed distributors to obtain league approval to supply ... Log in to view full article.