West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has launched a £150m defamation claim against the BBC over a Panorama documentary that examined allegations about his conduct.
Sullivan has taken the broadcaster to the High Court following the June 2026 broadcast of Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss, a programme that examined allegations made by seven women relating to events in the 1980s and 1990s.
The businessman strongly denies the allegations and is challenging the way the documentary portrayed him.
According to court documents seen by Sky Sports News, Sullivan argues that the BBC programme falsely depicted him as a sexual predator who had engaged in criminal behaviour.
The legal action centres not only on the allegations featured in the documentary but also on the way the BBC is alleged to have reported and presented them.
Sullivan claims the broadcaster failed to meet the standards expected of responsible journalism. He further alleges that evidence capable of challenging key allegations was ignored and that disputed claims were presented to viewers as established fact.
Those assertions form part of Sullivan’s case against the BBC and will be subject to the legal process. The allegations examined by the documentary remain disputed, with Sullivan maintaining that they are false.
The scale of the claim is significant, with Sullivan seeking £150m in damages from the broadcaster.
However, his legal demands extend beyond financial compensation. The West Ham co-owner is also asking the High Court to order the BBC to remove the documentary from its platforms.
Sullivan is additionally seeking an injunction that would prevent the further publication of the allegations at the centre of his complaint.
The case places the BBC under significant legal scrutiny over its reporting and editorial decisions surrounding the documentary. For Sullivan, meanwhile, the proceedings represent a direct challenge to what he says was a seriously misleading portrayal of him.
The documentary attracted attention because of the nature of the allegations examined and Sullivan’s prominent position in English football. His ownership of West Ham United has made the dispute particularly significant within the football community.
Nevertheless, the court proceedings will focus on the legal issues raised by Sullivan’s claim, including whether the programme’s portrayal was defamatory and whether the BBC can establish the necessary legal defences.
At this stage, Sullivan’s allegations against the broadcaster are claims made as part of ongoing legal proceedings and have not been established by the court.
The £150m figure, alongside the demand for the documentary’s removal and restrictions on further publication, underlines the seriousness of the dispute.
The case now moves into the legal process, where the competing positions of Sullivan and the BBC will be examined through the courts.
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