You may have dropped cable to save money, only to watch your streaming bill creep higher anyway.Now, some YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream customers could be in line for a Disney payday.The Walt Disney Company has agreed to a $50 million partial settlement in a class action lawsuit tied to live TV streaming prices.
The lawsuit claims Disney used its control of ESPN and other Disney-owned channels to push YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream into pricier packages.Disney denies any wrongdoing.The court also has not decided who is right or wrong.
Still, eligible customers can now file a claim for a possible cash payment.Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportSAN FRANCISCO ARCHDIOCESE AGREES TO $395M SETTLEMENT WITH 530 CLERGY ABUSE SURVIVORSDisney's $50 million settlement could send payments to eligible YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream customers.(Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The lawsuit is called Heather Biddle, et al.
v.The Walt Disney Company, Case No.
5:22-cv-07317-EJD.The case claims Disney violated federal antitrust law and various state antitrust and consumer protection laws.
According to the lawsuit, Disney's carriage demands allegedly raised prices for Streaming Live Pay Television services.In everyday terms, the complaint centers on whether Disney made streaming TV packages more expensive by tying ESPN and other Disney-owned channels to basic offerings.That could have made it harder for streaming providers to offer cheaper plans without sports channels.
Disney has agreed to settle the YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream portion of the case for $50 million.The notice applies only to YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream Plaintiffs.
FuboTV Plaintiffs have not settled with Disney, so their part of the lawsuit remains ongoing.You may qualify if you purchased a YouTube TV subscription at any time from April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2026.You may also qualify if you purchased a DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription during that same period.
That includes subscriptions branded as DirecTV ...