HFPA sues Penske over Golden Globes sale and awards market control
The HFPA alleges PMC fraudulently took control of the Golden Globes; the Globes calls the claims false and illegitimate.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
4 min read
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association sued Penske Media Group on Tuesday, putting a fresh courtroom charge into the long-running Golden Globes drama. In the HFPA sues Penske case, the group alleges PMC fraudulently acquired the awards show and used the deal to tighten control over parts of the entertainment awards business.
The 113-page complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accuses PMC and other defendants of monopolization, unlawful restraint of trade, unfair trade practices and fraudulent misrepresentation, among other claims. The defendants named in the suit include PMC CEO Jay Penske, the Golden Globe Foundation and its CEO, Gregory Goeckner.
A Golden Globes spokesperson rejected the lawsuit, saying the transaction closed more than three years ago and received the required approvals. The spokesperson called any claim that the deal did not close, or can still be undone, “unequivocally false.”
Why is the HFPA suing Penske?
The HFPA claims in the complaint that the 2021 backlash against the organization was used as a path to take over the Golden Globes. The suit alleges that Todd Boehly, then involved with the HFPA as interim CEO, used the boycott controversy as a “pretext” to enter the organization and acquire control of the awards.
The lawsuit says Boehly, then-HFPA president Helen Hoehne and then-general counsel Goeckner supported a transaction that moved control of the Globes to Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge. Hoehne, now president of the Golden Globes, is not named as a defendant in the complaint.
According to the complaint, HFPA members were pushed into approving the deal through a process the group describes as tainted by alleged fraud, conflicts of interest and breaches of fiduciary duty. The suit also alleges that Goeckner induced the HFPA’s treasurer to move $4 million from the association’s reserve to the Golden Globe Foundation.
The complaint further alleges that Penske’s role was hidden from HFPA members and that he took full control three months after the agreement was signed.
How the Golden Globes got here
The dispute traces back to 2021, when the Los Angeles Times published an investigation about the HFPA, citing a lack of diversity and instances of self-dealing. The fallout led publicists to announce a boycott, and NBC dropped the Golden Globes telecast the following year.
In 2023, Dick Clark Productions, which was owned by PMC, and Todd Boehly’s Eldridge acquired the Golden Globes. A new nonprofit, the Golden Globe Foundation, was created as the HFPA was dissolved.
The lawsuit identifies the plaintiff HFPA as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit. Deadline reported that a group of foreign journalists sought last year to reconstitute the association.
What markets does the lawsuit say PMC controls?
The HFPA alleges that PMC has obtained monopoly power in three areas: Hollywood trade publications, secondary awards and for-your-consideration advertising. For-your-consideration advertising is the paid campaign business studios and networks use to promote films, shows and performers to awards voters.
The complaint claims Penske and Boehly tried to shut the HFPA and its members out of those markets and reduce opportunities for foreign journalists. It also alleges PMC outlets including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter took part in a media campaign criticizing the HFPA during the 2021 controversy. Deadline, which is owned by PMC, is listed as a non-party in the lawsuit.
The suit also claims the defendants have continued trying to force the HFPA to dissolve. According to the complaint, Penske and Boehly’s corporate enterprises recently offered Golden Globe Foundation members extended voting rights and ballroom seats at the awards, with benefits allegedly conditioned in part on the HFPA dissolving and the foundation helping make that happen.
The Golden Globes spokesperson accused former HFPA members of trying to use the Golden Globe Foundation, described by the spokesperson as an independent nonprofit, to secure tickets to the ceremony. The spokesperson also said the litigation diverts resources from charitable work and described the claims as “illegitimate.”
The HFPA and Dick Clark Productions previously fought in court over Golden Globes telecast rights in 2010. A federal judge sided with DCP, and the dispute later settled in 2014.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.