Last year, four brokers sued the Los Angeles Dodgers for breach of contract and other violations of state law stemming from the team’s decision to cancel the season tickets of hundreds of ticket brokers and then move that inventory to another vendor. Now, a trial date has been set to hash out the incident.
The trial will take place on February 17, 2021, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Bowick said, according to the Los Angeles Times. The companies suing include the Connecticut-based Prestige Entertainment, New York’s Broadway Hospitality Group, Venue Kings Ticket Brokers of Canada, and 714 Tickets from California.
According to the lawsuit, the brokers claim that the team had treated them as loyal partners for years while they continued to purchase ticket packages. Then, allegedly “over half” of the team’s 35,000 season tickets, which were held by brokers, were taken back, meaning “outrageously inflated ticket prices for fans and more profits for the Dodgers.” The complaint notes that the relationship soured when the team made it to the World Series in 2017, alleging that the Dodgers attempted to sell inventory directly on the secondary market in less than 48 hours.
The Times reports that Dodgers claim the team cut the ticket brokers by a “reasonable exercise of business judgement.” The Dodgers say they had never guaranteed the brokers a right to renew tickets, noting that any statements that led brokers to believe otherwise were “mere puffery.”
While the trial date is set, the Dodgers are expected to ask the court to throw out the case. It’s possible that the two parties could reach a settlement, though further details have not been disclosed at this time.
