Michael Jordan settles anti-trust lawsuit with NASCAR

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Michael Jordan and NASCAR settled a federal antitrust lawsuit, which accused the racing league of being a "monopolistic bully" on Thursday. NASCAR agreed to make the charters at the heart of its business model permanent for Cup Series teams. 

The suit had gone on for more than a year, as Jordan's 23XI Racing team competed without a charter for much of that time. Now, Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the two plaintiffs, will get their charters back after racing uncharted most of this past season.

The financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but an economist earlier testified 23XI and Front Row were owed over $300 million in damages.

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"Today’s a good day," Jordan said.

The settlement came on the ninth day of the trial before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, who set aside motions hearing for an hour-long sidebar. 

23XI and Front Row filed their lawsuit last year after refusing to sign agreements on the new charter offers NASCAR presented in September 2024. Teams had until end of day to sign the 112-page document, which guarantees access to top-level Cup Series races and a revenue stream, and 13 of 15 organizations reluctantly agreed. Jordan and Jenkins sued instead and raced most of the 2025 season uncharted.

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Both teams said a loss in the case would have put them out of business.

"What all parties have always agreed on is a deep love for the sport and a desire to see it fulfill its full potential," NASCAR and the plaintiffs said in a joint statement. "This is a landmark moment, one that ensures NASCAR’s foundation is stronger, its future is brighter and its possibilities are greater."

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All teams felt the previous revenue-sharing agreement was unfair and two-plus years of bitter negotiations led to NASCAR’s final offer, which was described by the teams as "take-it-or-leave it." The teams believed the new agreement lacked all four of their key demands, most importantly the charters becoming permanent instead of renewable.

The settlement followed eight days of testimony in which the Florida-based France family, the founders and private owners of NASCAR, were shown to be inflexible in making the charters permanent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.