Episode 106: HFPA Sues PMC Over Golden Globes Acquisition

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has filed a 113-page antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against Penske Media Group, CEO Jay Penske, Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries, and Golden Globe Foundation CEO Gregory Goeckner. The complaint alleges fraudulent acquisition of the Golden Globe Awards, monopolization of the Hollywood trade publication and awards markets, and a coordinated scheme to force the HFPA's permanent dissolution. For agents, producers, and executives whose FYC campaigns, awards strategy, and trade coverage all run through PMC-owned properties, the structural claims in this suit are worth watching closely. Key Takeaways: The HFPA alleges PMC and Boehly used the 2021 diversity scandal as a "pretext" for Boehly to install himself as interim HFPA CEO and engineer the transfer of the Globes to Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge. The complaint alleges Goeckner induced the HFPA treasurer to transfer $4 million from association reserves to the newly formed Golden Globe Foundation during the transition. The antitrust claims assert PMC holds monopolies in three markets: Hollywood trade publications, secondary awards, and for-your-consideration advertising — covering Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline under one corporate owner. The lawsuit claims that days before filing, Penske and Boehly offered GGF members expanded voting rights and Globes ballroom seats contingent on the HFPA formally dissolving and actively assisting in that process. The Golden Globes transaction closed in 2023 and PMC denies all claims, calling the plaintiff a "defunct organization" and the lawsuit "illegitimate." The HFPA previously sued Dick Clark Productions in 2010 over Globes telecast rights; a federal judge ruled for DCP, and the parties settled in 2014 — a legal history that frames PMC's confidence in its legal position. Standing — whether a reconstituted HFPA has legal standing to bring these claims at all — is likely to be the first major battleground before any merits discovery begins. If this case survives a motion to dismiss, discovery could force financial records and internal communications about FYC ad pricing, trade coverage decisions, and awards deal terms into the public record. For anyone whose business runs through PMC-controlled awards infrastructure or trade media, the antitrust theory here is worth taking seriously — regardless of how the PR fight plays out. Subscribe to The Option for daily updates on the business behind the business.