Six former American football players are suing Netflix, alleging that the company exploited their talents for entertainment purposes, which they claim impacted their careers. The former players, featured in the acclaimed documentary series Last Chance U, filed a $30 million lawsuit against Netflix and its production partner Condé Nast. The series ran for five seasons before concluding in 2020.
The former players claim that the series portrayed them in a “false, offensive, and damaging” way, distorting their images for commercial gain and that Netflix owes them compensation as a result.
The documentary series received an impressive 8.4/10 IMDb rating. It chronicles the second chances of college football players fighting for redemption.
The lawsuit was revealed by American outlet Front Office Sports in early February. The former players are also taking action against East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the show’s executive producer.
At the heart of the case is Ronald Ollie, a previous EMCC player, whose depiction in the series allegedly derailed his professional career. The lawsuit argues that Last Chance U conveyed Ollie as “lazy and lacking work ethic,” which in turn allegedly contributed to his 2019 release from the Oakland Raiders and diminished interest from the Baltimore Ravens. “The idea that Ollie was a slacker is entirely false,” the lawsuit states… “Yet Last Chance U cast him in that role, effectively sabotaging his professional future.”
The other five former players include: John Franklin III, Cary Sidney Reavis II, Deandre Johnson, Tim Bonner, and Isaiah Wright. The former players also accuse Netflix of pressurising them into signing contracts without fully informing them about how their images would be used commercially.
Crucially, only the defendants in the lawsuit listed above made money from the documentary series, the former players received nothing.
As reported by Front Office Sports, The National Junior College Athletic Association “skyrocketed” in popularity and saw increased revenue as a result of Last Chance U. East Mississippi Community College “generated a wealth of revenue by selling player merchandise” and Condé Nast “received a large amount of money from Netflix in exchange for the rights to publish Last Chance U,” according to the complaint.
“Plaintiffs received no compensation from Netflix, Condé Nast, or any other party for their significant contribution to Last Chance U,” the lawsuit states. Netflix, NJCAA, EMCC and Condé Nast declined comment.
John Pierce, the attorney representing the former athletes, commented on the treatment of the former players: “Every single one of these defendants lined their pockets by intruding into the personal lives of these young men, distorting their stories, and profiting from them, without so much as a shred of financial or moral accountability.”
