ESPN Enterprises, Inc. v. DISH Network L.L.C.
- Subramanian
- 1:25-cv-07169
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In ESPN v. DISH, Judge Subramanian granted plaintiffs’ request to file some preliminary-injunction materials redacted and other exhibits under seal.
The ruling affected the plaintiffs’ filing of materials supporting their preliminary-injunction motion and the public’s access to the specified information; it also concerned material covered by a protective order to which DISH consented.
What happened
In ESPN Enterprises, Inc. v. DISH Network L.L.C., the plaintiffs asked to seal or redact parts of their reply supporting a request for a preliminary injunction, supporting declarations, evidentiary objections, and two exhibits.
The plaintiffs said the materials contained confidential licensing terms, financial information, business strategy, and negotiations. They relied on the court’s earlier decision allowing similar information to be sealed, and said DISH consented to sealing material covered by a protective order.
Judge Arun Subramanian granted the request. The clerk was directed to terminate the motion at docket entry 61.
The detailed version
- ESPN Enterprises, Inc. v. DISH Network L.L.C. · No. 1:25-cv-07169
- Subramanian
- Oct. 17, 2025
Background
The plaintiffs filed a letter-motion asking permission to submit certain materials in connection with their motion for a preliminary injunction in redacted form and under seal. The requested materials included:
- Portions of the plaintiffs’ reply brief concerning licensing agreements with DISH and third parties, sensitive financial information, and confidential business strategy; - Portions of declarations by James M. Zasowski, Sean Breen, and Adam Monaco concerning those subjects; - Portions of the plaintiffs’ objections to DISH’s preliminary-injunction evidence; and - Exhibits U and V, described as correspondence between Disney and DISH about obligations under the plaintiffs’ licensing agreements with DISH.
The letter cited the court’s September 12, 2025 order granting an earlier sealing request involving the plaintiffs’ preliminary-injunction motion. It also stated that DISH had moved to seal comparable material submitted with its opposition and had consented to sealing material covered by a protective order.
Reasoning Presented
The letter explained that federal courts may seal documents for good cause while balancing that interest against the public’s general right of access to judicial documents. It argued that disclosure of sensitive commercial agreements and business information could harm competitive positions, commercial relationships, and future negotiations. The letter also referred to the court’s earlier finding of good cause to seal information about licensing agreements, negotiations concerning the over-the-top license, related correspondence, and sensitive internal business analysis.
Ruling
Judge Arun Subramanian marked the motion “GRANTED.” The order permitted the plaintiffs to file the identified reply, declarations, and objections in redacted form and the identified exhibits under seal. The clerk was directed to terminate the motion at docket entry 61. The text provided does not include a separate written explanation from the judge beyond that ruling.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.