UFC sues bar for allegedly airing pay-per-view without commercial license – POST Wrestling

The UFC has filed a lawsuit against a barbershop and bar in Key West, Florida. The plaintiff claims Beards and Brews illegally showed the UFC 298 event to customers without paying for the required business license.

Beards and Brews LLC and the company’s owners and operators, Eric and Victoria Castellanos, are named as defendants in the lawsuit filed by UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC, in federal court in the Southern District of Florida. The court documents were filed last Thursday and obtained by POST Wrestling.

In the complaint’s exhibits, UFC shows screenshots of a Facebook post from February 16, the day before UFC 298, on Beards & Brews’ Facebook page promoting the ad: “Come by tomorrow night to watch UFC 298 @beardandbrewsbarbershopandbar.”

UFC alleges that Beards and Brews either pirated the broadcast or purchased the pay-per-view offering as if for home use but breached the Terms of Service by subsequently broadcasting the event for customers at their premises, which would have required a more expensive commercial license.

UFC is seeking substantial statutory damages, potentially as much as $110,000 per defendant, in addition to aggravated damages for the alleged intentional nature of the infringement. The suit also seeks an injunction to stop Beards and Brews from making future unauthorized broadcasts.

UFC President Dana White has been particularly vocal in his support for punishing those who illegally use and distribute the company’s pay-per-view broadcasts, with the case serving as an example to commercial companies of the legal consequences of unauthorized broadcasts.

Since its launch on ESPN+ in 2019, the price of pay-per-views for home viewing has increased from $59.99 to $79.99.

Alan D. Danz of Danz Law, PLLC is representing UFC in this case.

We have contacted Beard and Brews via email to request comment on this report. If they respond, we will update this article.