Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays Face Spam Text Lawsuit

Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays Face Spam Text Lawsuit

Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays have been accused of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”). The class action lawsuit alleges that the Major League Baseball team repeatedly texted a man about upcoming baseball games without obtaining the man’s prior consent. The TCPA prohibits automated marketing texts or calls unless the recipients previously consented to receiving the texts or calls.

Under the TCPA, consumers can sue for damages of between $500 and $1,500 for each automated call, text, or fax that they received if they have not consented to receiving the communications.

The baseball fan who received the texts claims that he received numerous texts about upcoming Tampa Rays baseball games. The fan alleges that the texts violated the TCPA’s prohibition from automated advertising texts without the prior consent of the recipient. The baseball fan filed his lawsuit, seeking to represent all U.S. residents who received unwanted texts from the Tampa Bay Rays.

TCPA lawsuits against professional sports teams have increased over the past few years as teams have sought to use cellular communications as a means of marketing to fans. Similar lawsuit have been filed against the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers and the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

Sports fans spend billions of dollars a year for game tickets, travel, food, and merchandise, as they passionately follow their favorite teams. Team owners recognize the profit potential and appreciate that fan engagement is critical to capturing fan dollars. Texts to fans are using for a number of things, such as for promoting free tickets, autograph sessions, and seat upgrades. Texting is a low-cost way for direct fan engagement.

Because the TCPA can expose sports team to massive liability, they would be wise to obtain the direct consent of each fan before resorting to text marketing. We expect TCPA cases against professional sports teams to increase of the next several years unless teams promptly put in place proper protocols to ensure that they do not send texts to fans without each fan’s prior consent.

Do You Have a Claim against the Tampa Bay Rays?

If your cell phone has been ringing with unwanted marketing calls from the Tampa Bay Rays or other entities, you may have rights that require your legal attention.

Contact a Robocall Attorney Today

Contact an experienced robocall attorney at Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A. today for a free consultation to discuss your rights and potential legal claims.