WWE Faces Setback in Antitrust Lawsuit Over Media Rights Monopoly

A federal judge has rejected WWE's bid to dismiss an antitrust suit from rival outfit Major League Wrestling, concluding that WWE could have violated antitrust laws by insisting on exclusivity agreements with media partners. The suit explores WWE's allegedly anticompetitive conduct to box out competitors. MLW sued the Vince McMahon-led company last year for "unlawfully interfering with [its] access to media markets." The complaint is wide-reaching in scope, accusing WWE of tampering with MLW's media deals and barring its employees and venue partners from working with competitors.