The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has filed a bombshell antitrust lawsuit against media mogul Jay Penske, Penske Media Corp., Todd Boehly, and the Golden Globe Foundation, alleging the 2023 sale of the Golden Globes was a “sham process tainted by fraud” and seeking at least $150 million in damages.
The suit, filed Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, claims Penske and Boehly “orchestrated and participated in a clandestine scheme to fraudulently acquire the Golden Globe Awards, dismantle the HFPA, and exert monopolistic control over Hollywood trades and the awards circuit.”
A spokesperson for Penske Media and the Golden Globes denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit “absurd” and noting that the deal closed three years ago with all required approvals.
The Allegations
The complaint accuses Penske, whose company owns Variety and other Hollywood trade publications, of having “colluded” with Boehly, the billionaire chairman of Eldridge Industries, to purchase the 80-year-old award show through a “corrupt Asset Purchase Agreement.”
The suit argues that owning the Golden Globes would “solidify a vertical and horizontal monopoly on the awards market.” It would enable them “to control and exclude” members of the domestic and foreign press and “control the entertainment news disseminated to the general public.”
Penske and Boehly have significant ownership stakes in several film and television production companies, including A24 Films and MRC. Boehly declined to comment.
The 2022 Boycott
In 2022, the HFPA was engaged in rehabilitating its image after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed ethical and financial lapses and that not one of the then-87 members was Black. NBC had dropped the broadcast of the 2022 Globes, publicists boycotted the organization, and studios including Netflix and WarnerMedia cut ties.
According to the suit, Penske and Boehly “surreptitiously instigated a boycott of the HFPA and the 2022 Golden Globes” using Penske’s trade publications to devalue the organization and make it vulnerable to acquisition. They then used the boycott as a “pretext for Boehly to infiltrate the HFPA and acquire the Golden Globes.”
The Monopoly Claim
The lawsuit contends that the acquisition became a mechanism for Penske and Boehly to “maintain monopolies” in three areas:
· Hollywood trade publications
· Secondary awards
· For Your Consideration advertising — the specialized promotion of entertainment to awards voters
The suit alleges Penske Media owns 80% of FYC advertising, worth upward of $1 billion annually.
Penske is also accused of turning the Golden Globes into a “pay-to-play racket.” The suit alleges that in 2024, Penske Media sold a “Variety Golden Globes” dinner series offering access to voters at $70,000 apiece. The company also allegedly charged studios a $5,000-per-project “administration fee” to have a project placed on the Golden Globes Screening Platform.
The Foundation Allegations
The suit alleges that the Golden Globe Foundation, the successor to the HFPA’s charitable arm, became “an extension of the for-profit entity Penske and Boehly formed.” It claims charitable assets were diverted to serve commercial interests, including an attempt to use more than $275,000 in charitable funds for a for-profit Golden Globes viewing party.
State attorneys general, led by California AG Rob Bonta, plan to ask for a trial in 2027.
The Bottom Line
The HFPA has filed a $150 million antitrust lawsuit against Jay Penske, Todd Boehly, and others, alleging the 2023 sale of the Golden Globes was a “sham process tainted by fraud.” The suit claims Penske and Boehly instigated a boycott to devalue the organization, then used it as a pretext to acquire the awards show and build a monopoly over Hollywood trades and FYC advertising. Penske Media has denied the allegations, calling the suit “absurd.”
