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Streaming platform subscribers may qualify for part of a massive $50 million settlement that The Walt Disney Company has been ordered to pay to consumers.
Subscribers of YouTubeTV, DirecTV Stream, and FuboTV filed an antitrust class action lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company that argued it was engaged in “various forms of conduct to raise the prices of Streaming Live Pay Television.”
The plaintiffs argued that Disney tied live TV service programming it controls — like ABC, ESPN, and Hulu — to its basic streaming options as a way to “inflate prices marketwide by raising the prices of its own products,” according to NEXSTAR, citing the lawsuit.
The complaint points to Disney increasing its prices for its Hulu + Live TV package in late 2022 to $74.99 per month, up from $69.99 per month. In the months after Disney raised its prices, DirecTV and YouTubeTV followed suit.
The plaintiffs have asked for “damages as well as injunctive relief to halt and unwind Disney’s anticompetitive practices.”
The Independent has requested comment from Disney.
Disney has not admitted wrongdoing, but has agreed to pay out a partial settlement with YouTube TV and DirecTV, according to Yahoo Finance.
The settlement covers a period of seven years, meaning anyone who subscribed to YouTubeTV or DirectTV Stream between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, are eligible for the settlement.
Those who are unsure if they are eligible can call 1-877-704-2517 for more information.
Eligible claimants have until September 8 to submit a claim. Qualifying subscribers were sent notices in the mail or by email. Those messages contain a unique ID that claimants will need to use to file their claims online.
The total amount claimants can expect to receive will vary based on a number of factors, including how many claims are filed, where the claimant lives, and how long the subscriber was paying for the eligible services.
The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for January 14, 2027. Should the judge approve the settlement, payments typically will be made 90 days from that date.
FuboTV, while included in the original lawsuit, has yet to reach a settlement with Disney, which purchased Fubo in 2025. That portion of the lawsuit is still pending.
