The antitrust lawsuit brought forward by MLW against WWE has been settled out of court after a Notice of Settlement document was filed with the Northern District of California courts.
“In accordance with the Court’s Standing Order for Civil Cases, Section IV.F.I, Plaintiff MLW Media LLC and Defendant World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (together, the “Parties”), hereby submit this Notice of Settlement to notify the Court that the Parties have settled this action. The Parties are in the process of completing the final settlement documents and expect to file the appropriate dismissal papers within the next thirty (30) days,” the document, published by Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics states.
The case has been going on since January 2022 after MLW filed the lawsuit against WWE accusing the company of pressuring third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW. WWE’s misconduct included disrupting every level of MLW’s business, including a major streaming deal for MLW which would have been transformative for the company. MLW also alleged that in early 2021, after MLW announced that it was in talks with VICE TV to air MLW programs on VICE TV, a then-WWE executive warned VICE TV that WWE owner Vince McMahon was “pissed” that VICE TV was airing MLW programs, and that VICE TV should stop working with MLW. The lawsuit was then amended to reflect their move to Reels, where the station was picked up by Peacock but their hour of TV was blacked out on the streaming service as Peacock is exclusive to WWE.
While no terms were revealed, there will likely be a filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission by TKO if there is a major settlement involved.
