In today’s Thomson Reuters legal news, Jonathan Stempel covers LGD’s class action lawsuit against Major League Baseball, the NHL and regional sports networks in Sports fans can pursue antitrust case over programs.

The article states that a federal judge on Wednesday allowed sports fans to pursue a lawsuit accusing Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and various networks of antitrust violations in how they package games for broadcast on television or the Internet.

U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan said the subscribers could pursue claims that the packaging has reduced competition, raised prices, and kept them from watching their favorite teams located outside their home markets. “Plaintiffs in this case – the consumers – have plausibly alleged that they are the direct victims of this harm,” she wrote.

The defendants include Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, several teams in both sports, cable TV company Comcast Corp, satellite TV provider DirecTV, Madison Square Garden Co and some regional sports networks.