FanDuel settles MLB union lawsuit over use of player likenesses

By Blake Brittain

Major League Baseball’s players union settled a lawsuit that accused sports betting giant FanDuel of using the names and likenesses of hundreds of MLB players on its betting platform without permission.

A FanDuel spokesperson said on Friday that the company and the union signed a confidential licensing agreement. The players said in a New York federal court filing that they agreed to dismiss their claims with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled. 

Spokespeople and attorneys for the union did not immediately respond to a request for comment and more information.

The union has also brought similar complaints against FanDuel rival DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG) and other sports betting companies. Those cases are still ongoing.

The lawsuits, filed in September, alleged the companies “flagrantly” violated the rights of nearly every active MLB player by using their names, images and likenesses on their platforms without a license.

“For professional athletes, the ability to control the commercial use of their names, images, and likenesses is a crucial return on their substantial career investment,” the players said.

FanDuel had not responded to the allegations in court. 

The National Football League’s players union filed its own ongoing lawsuit against DraftKings in August for allegedly misusing NFL player likenesses on non-fungible tokens.