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Rams pay $24m to settle St. Louis PSL lawsuit

NFL American football franchise the Los Angeles Rams has agreed to pay $24m (£18.8m/€21.1m) to settle a court case with personal seat license (PSL) holders in the team’s former home of St. Louis.

The Rams moved from Missouri to California for the 2016 NFL season, leaving thousands of fans in their former home city with PSLs that were of no use. PSLs represent one-time fees that guarantee holders the right to purchase season tickets.

A class-action suit was filed on behalf of thousands of fans who purchased PSLs that were meant to last for 30 seasons, tying in with the length of Rams’ lease deal at the Edward Jones Dome (pictured) in St. Louis. The Rams’ decision to move to Los Angeles effectively ended this agreement nine seasons early, with PSL-holders bringing the lawsuit to seek a refund for the nine unused years, plus damages.

News of the settlement was first disclosed last month. The settlement notice was filed in federal court last week but full details weren’t released until yesterday (Wednesday). The Rams have not commented on the settlement, but attorney Ryan Bruning, whose firm represented many of the license holders, told the Associated Press news agency: “This settlement is about fairness.

“The PSL holders paid for 30 years of NFL football in St. Louis, but got just 21 years. They should get their money back for the years of football they paid for but never received. Under this agreement, they will.”

The AP said the amount each PSL holder will receive will depend on the value of the license, which ranged from $250 to $4,500, based on the location of the seat in the stadium. It is thought that about 46,000 people had PSLs.

Earlier this year it was announced that Los Angeles Rams and Chargers fans will pay fees of up to $100,000 to secure ticket licences at the teams’ future home. Known as Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park, the 70,000-capacity venue is due to open in 2020.

Premium seats for the Inglewood project will hold a licensing bill of $75,000 for Chargers season-ticket holders and a massive $100,000 for Rams season-ticket holders. The Rams currently play their home games at Los Angeles’ iconic Coliseum.

Image: Paul Sableman