Rams reach settlement with PSL holders

ST. LOUIS -- The NFL's Rams will pay $24 million to personal seat license holders in St. Louis who filed a class-action lawsuit after the team moved to Los Angeles.

The settlement notice was filed in federal court last week but details weren't released until Wednesday.

The class-action suit was filed on behalf of thousands of fans who bought PSLs that were good for 30 seasons, which was the length of the lease at the St. Louis stadium formerly known as the Edward Jones Dome. Rams owner Stan Kroenke took the team to California in 2016 after 21 seasons in St. Louis.

The lawsuit sought a refund for the nine unused years of the seat license fee, plus damages.

Attorneys representing St. Louis Rams PSL holders filed a motion for preliminary approval with U.S. District Court, a process expected to take several weeks.

"This settlement is about fairness," attorney Ryan Bruning, whose firm represented many of the license holders, said in a statement. "The PSL holders paid for 30 years of NFL football in St. Louis, but got just 21 years. They should get their money back for the years of football they paid for but never received. Under this agreement, they will."

An email message left with the Rams was not immediately returned.

Personal seat licenses are common in sports, requiring fans to pay a one-time charge for the right to buy season tickets. The amount each PSL holder will receive will depend on the value of the PSL, which ranged from $250 to $4,500, based on the location of the seat.