- May 21, 2026
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The war that some would say isn't a war in Iran disrupted plans for the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi Arabia. That has now sparked a legal battle that no one could say is anything but a legal battle.
Via Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, the Saudi Arabian group known as Sela (owned by the Public Investment Fund) has sued Fanatics Studios over the decision to relocate the event to Los Angeles and proceed as scheduled on March 21. Sela wanted to postpone the event by a full year.
The action was filed in England last month. The complaint, per standard procedure, remains under seal because Fanatics Studios has yet to respond.
Saudi Arabia pulled the funding for the event after it was moved.
The case will turn on the terms of the relevant contracts, as interpreted and applied by a commercial court in England. If Sela prevails, Fanatics could be required to reimburse the entity for expenses incurred in connection with the planning for the event, along with any revenue that was lost.
The one-day tournament averaged 685,000 viewers on Fox. It was reconfigured to pit the U.S. men's national flag football team against two teams consisting of current and former NFL players, other athletes, and influencers who parlay their notoriety into real-life fantasy-camp participation.
Via Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, the Saudi Arabian group known as Sela (owned by the Public Investment Fund) has sued Fanatics Studios over the decision to relocate the event to Los Angeles and proceed as scheduled on March 21. Sela wanted to postpone the event by a full year.
The action was filed in England last month. The complaint, per standard procedure, remains under seal because Fanatics Studios has yet to respond.
Saudi Arabia pulled the funding for the event after it was moved.
The case will turn on the terms of the relevant contracts, as interpreted and applied by a commercial court in England. If Sela prevails, Fanatics could be required to reimburse the entity for expenses incurred in connection with the planning for the event, along with any revenue that was lost.
The one-day tournament averaged 685,000 viewers on Fox. It was reconfigured to pit the U.S. men's national flag football team against two teams consisting of current and former NFL players, other athletes, and influencers who parlay their notoriety into real-life fantasy-camp participation.