On January 24, 2019, U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., granted initial approval to a $24 million settlement between the former NFL team, the St. Louis Rams, and a class of football fans who purchased personal seat licenses (“PSLs”) during the Rams’ last season in St. Louis in 2014, shortly before the team was moved to Los Angeles.
The suit was originally filed in Missouri federal court by named plaintiff Ronald McAllister in February 2016. In the complaint, McAllister details that when the Rams first moved to St. Louis in 1995, there was such a demand for tickets that the team owners required fans that wished to purchase season tickets to buy PSLs. According to the plaintiff, one PSL would entitle the purchaser the right to buy one season ticket per year, in a designated section of the stadium, through the 2024 season. The Rams sold around 46,000 PSLs in 1995. Upon purchasing the PSL, a contract was executed defining the terms of the agreement, including a provision that stated if the Rams terminated the agreement for any reason, they would be required to refund all or part of the PSL purchase price. However, the plaintiffs argued, that when the Rams moved to Los Angeles following the 2015 season, the team refused to allow PSL holders to transfer their licenses to Los Angeles despite the original contract guaranteeing the right to buy PSLs through the 2024 season.
In March 2018, plaintiffs were divided into two classes: one comprised of fans who purchased a PSL through FANS Inc. and another class made up of fans who purchased PSLs directly from the Rams. The settlement stipulates that $24 million will be evenly distributed between the two classes, which was granted preliminary approval by Judge Limbaugh in December 2018. Also, under the terms of the settlement, class members will receive payments based on the tier of PSL that they held—PSL tier prices starting at $250 would qualify for a pay out of $75, up through and a highest priced PSL at $4,500, qualifying for a $1,350 pay out. A hearing for final approval of the settlement is currently scheduled for June 24, 2019.
The case is: McAllister v. St. Louis Rams LLC, Case No.:4:16-cv-00172, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
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