Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation to end Major Leagues Baseball’s (MLB) special immunity from antitrust law Tuesday.
The legislation intends to expose MLB to legal risks and alter existing business partnerships, particularly concerning “minor league baseball, franchise relocation, intellectual property and several other topics central to upcoming negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement,” Sportico reported.
The termination of MLB’s antitrust immunity is expected to maintain the type of immunity they enjoy with TV deals which National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and National National Hockey League (NHL) also receive.
A notable article by the Boston Herald’s Editorial Board on April 6 demanded the termination of MLB antitrust exemption, writing, “The anti-trust exemption for Major League Baseball has been debated for years — it’s time to end the league’s special status. As its recent actions have shown, it’s not just a sport.”
MLB’s antitrust immunity emanates from a Supreme Court decision in 1922, ruling the MLB is a sport and not a business. The NFL, NBA, and NHL do not enjoy the same privilege.
Cruz said at the press conference what prompted the legislation “was Major League Baseball’s decision to pull the All-Star Game out of Atlanta, Georgia…. based on a pile of lies.” He continued, “It did so based on an assertion that legislation the Georgia legislature took up to protect voter integrity somehow disenfranchised Georgia voters.” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --