The LPGA Tour has filed a lawsuit in the Southern District Court of New York against JoongAng Ilbo Co, Ltd, the operator of JTBC Plus. This is the company that broadcasts the Tour events in Korea, but has also served as a sponsor and underwriter of many events from 2009 to the present.
According to Front Office Sports, the lawsuit was filed less than a week ago and the amount of the financial claim has not been disclosed. However, it is said that the interest is to recover amounts not properly paid by the defendant.
“We can confirm that we filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday and that we have communicated with our membership regarding this matter,” an LPGA spokesperson said, per Golf Digest. “Beyond that, we cannot comment on active litigation.”
The Korean company was listed as an underwriter for the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship, the tournament that was to be held in April and was canceled by the LPGA Tour due to financial shortfalls. Nelly Korda won the inaugural edition of the event in 2024, earning $300,000 of the $2 million purse.
Front Office Sports cited a Korean media outlet, Media Today, which in November 2024 obtained statements from Oh Young-min, CEO of JTBC Plus, who did not deny the unpaid fees.
“In fact, we have been holding out by not paying the PGA and LPGA broadcasting rights fees,” Oh Young-min said. “We have been working to lower the PGA and LPGA broadcasting rights fees since March and April of this year.”
Media Today’s report also claims that JTBC Plus is in the process of laying off about 80 employees, citing that serious management problems were expected due to the deficit reported during the year.
Nelly Korda is on top of the world rankings once more after her second consecutive win of 2024 at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship 🏌️♀️🏆 pic.twitter.com/BzRTAOTaHK
— Golf Monthly (@GolfMonthly) March 25, 2024
The LPGA Tour has already sued JTBC Plus for breach of contract in 2020. The PGA also sued the Korean company in a Florida court in 2021, claiming $700,000 in missed payments. The parties reached a settlement the following year.
JTBC Plus is one of the four inaugural cable television networks in Korea. It broadcasts nationwide and its programming is generalist, including sports, TV shows, series and news.
The Korean market is very important to the LPGA Tour, as the country has produced several of the tour’s top stars over the past 30 years, like Se Ri Pak, Inbee Park and Jin Young Ko. Other stars who have made an impact on Korean golf despite playing for other countries include Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee.
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