Deadline Today: Claim Your Share Of $50 Million Disney Streaming Price Settlement By Sept. 8 Tonight
Current and former subscribers of YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream have only until today, Sept. 8, to file a claim in a $50 million class action settlement with The Walt Disney Company, following allegations that the entertainment giant's business practices helped drive up the price of live-streaming television services.
The settlement stems from Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company, an antitrust lawsuit filed on behalf of subscribers of YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and FuboTV. The plaintiffs accused Disney, which also owns Hulu and ESPN, of "engaging in various forms of conduct to raise the prices of Streaming Live Pay Television," alleging the company used its market size to "inflate prices marketwide by raising the prices of its own products." The lawsuit specifically pointed to price increases the plaintiffs say began accelerating after Disney took control of Hulu in 2019.
Plaintiffs in the case sought both monetary damages and injunctive relief aimed at halting and unwinding what they characterized as Disney's anticompetitive practices. Disney has denied any wrongdoing and did not admit to violating any laws, but the company agreed to a $50 million partial settlement covering subscribers of YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream specifically. No settlement has been reached in connection with the FuboTV portion of the case, meaning FuboTV subscribers do not qualify to file a claim as part of this particular settlement........
