Bellator MMA filed a legal challenge to the release of documents related to the organization in the UFC Antitrust lawsuit.
The promotion provided documents in the lawsuit as part of a Court Order in 2017. Bellator marked the documents, “HIGHLY-CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEY’S EYES ONLY.”
Bellator identifies the documents in its briefs:
- “…a detailed spreadsheet specifying Bellator’s confidential and highly sensitive financial information, including all quarterly and yearly revenue streams and expense categories from 2010 to 2016.”
- “Bellator proprietary information essential to distinguishing Bellator’s business from its competitors and allowing Bellator to continue to compete and maintain its negotiating position, thus constitute a trade secret.”
According to a Declaration from Scott Coker, one of the documents turned over by Bellator has “years of Bellator’s detailed financial information.” They argue that it “goes to the very heart of Bellator’s ability to operate in a highly competitive marketplace.” Also, it argues that a document currently under seal identifies “each of Bellator’s revenue source and types of operating expenses, containing confidential unaudited profit and loss statements through the quarter ending March 31, 2017.
Bellator sued Zuffa in Federal Court in February 2017 to prevent the UFC from obtaining key financial and contract information on fighters in its possession. The result was the documents being marked to be highly confidential.
Payout Perspective:
The release of documents in the Zuffa antitrust lawsuit would hurt Bellator from its perspective and its not even a party to the lawsuit. The concern is that the documents, similar to those that may come to light from Zuffa, will be used and analyze by competitors. It also may shed light on the business practices which may be cause bad publicity. The Court will likely rule on these issues prior to the release of documents. MPO will continue to follow.
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