StubHub lawsuit against Warriors dismissed

The antitrust lawsuit from ticket reseller StubHub against the Golden State Warriors has been dismissed in U.S. District Court.

StubHub filed a lawsuit in March against the Warriors and Ticketmaster, accusing both companies of violating the antitrust laws through the selection of Ticketmaster to administer the team's authorized resale marketplace.

U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney in San Francisco concluded in her decision Thursday that StubHub's arguments that the Warriors and Ticketmaster had conspired to fix the resale marketplace were unfounded.

"We are pleased with Judge Chesney's ruling dismissing StubHub's complaint," David Kelly, the Warriors' general counsel and vice president of basketball legal affairs, said in a statement Friday. "We believe that the Court correctly concluded that the antitrust laws do not prevent us from managing our ticket distribution process in a manner that ultimately protects and benefits our fans."

The team said, "Warriors.com offers fans a verified marketplace for all Warriors ticket needs, including official resale tickets from season-ticket holders that are guaranteed by the Warriors organization. The Warriors ticket marketplace offers a safe and convenient way for fans to access all levels of tickets throughout the regular season and playoffs. In contrast, the Warriors have seen a 45 percent increase in the number of fans denied access to Oracle Arena per game this season compared to last season due to counterfeit tickets purchased from non-verified third-party vendors."

The defending NBA champion Warriors have sold out 137 consecutive games and have a current season-ticket waiting list of over 17,000.