Sports Auctioneer Sues Disney

Friday, December 15th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A New York company has sued the Walt Disney Co., ESPN and Buena Vista Internet Group claiming they reneged on an agreement to produce online sports memorabilia auctions.

Grey Flannel Inc. filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday claiming executives at Buena Vista Internet Group broke an agreement to produce, promote and design an Internet site for the auctions, which were to be hosted by ESPN.com. Disney owns Buena Vista Internet Group and ESPN.

Grey Flannel claims it passed up offers from companies including CBS Sportsline, Fox Sports and Home Shopping Network because Disney assured Grey Flannel it would televise the auctions.

Grey Flannel claims that in April Disney postponed two auctions scheduled for June until later that summer. Finally, in late July, Disney announced the television auction would be postponed indefinitely, the lawsuit says.

The plaintiff is seeking undetermined compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and court costs.

Disney spokesman Ken Green said he had not seen the lawsuit Thursday. An after-hours call to Buena Vista Internet Group in San Francisco was answered by a recording and a message left at ESPN's Bristol, Conn. offices was not immediately returned.