Two fans have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Football League (NFL), claiming that the league is preventing its teams from joining the social media platform Bluesky. The plaintiffs, Patrick Brown, a Chicago Bears supporter, and Collin Vincent, a Seattle Seahawks fan, submitted a 14-page complaint in New York, alleging that the NFL is restricting interaction between teams and players on the platform.
Thomas Burt, the attorney representing the fans, stated, “The interaction between teams and their fans on social media is a matter for the teams and fans alone. The NFL does not have the legal authority to interfere in that decision.”
The lawsuit highlights that fans should not be confined to specific platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), for engaging with their teams. Fred Kirsch, vice president of content for Kraft Sports & Entertainment, mentioned on the “Patriots Unfiltered” podcast that the New England Patriots were instructed by the NFL to delete their Bluesky account.
Bluesky has gained over 30 million new users, particularly following changes made by Elon Musk to X. The lawsuit claims that the NFL’s prohibition of teams on Bluesky is driven by financial interests, referencing reports that the league seeks a paid partnership with Bluesky if teams were to join. Although the NFL reportedly announced that teams are not permitted on the platform, no official statement has been made public.
As of now, no major North American sports team has an account on Bluesky.
