Disney agreed to $50M settlement over claims it made live-TV streaming expensive

The Walt Disney Company agreed to a $50 million settlement on March 18, 2024, to resolve claims that it artificially inflated prices for live-TV streaming services. The settlement addresses a class-action lawsuit filed in November 2022 by four YouTube TV subscribers in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs accused Disney of engaging in anticompetitive agreements with YouTube TV and other internet-based live TV providers. The core of the complaint alleged that Disney leveraged its ownership of ESPN to compel these distributors to include the channel in their base subscription packages, thereby forcing higher prices for over-the-top (OTT) live TV services. This settlement aims to compensate subscribers who allegedly paid more due to these practices.