YouTube TV, DirecTV $50M Price-Fixing Settlement Coming Soon

Consumers who purchased a YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream subscription at any time from April 1, 2019, through the date the court grants preliminary approval of the settlement, may be eligible to claim a cash payment from a class action settlement.

The Walt Disney Co. agreed to pay $50,000,000 to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it violated federal antitrust law and various state antitrust and consumer protection laws. The plaintiffs claim Disney engaged in conduct that raised the prices of streaming live pay television services, causing consumers to pay more for YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream subscriptions.

Class counsel filed a motion for preliminary approval of the settlement on March 6, 2026.

Who can file a claim?

Class members must qualify for one or both of the following groups:

• YouTube TV settlement class: Anyone who purchased a YouTube TV subscription between April 1, 2019, and the date the court grants preliminary approval of the settlement.
• DirecTV Stream settlement class: Anyone who purchased a DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription (including DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now or AT&T TV Now) during the same period

Key details:

• Both individuals and entities (such as businesses or organizations) are eligible.
• Consumers with both a YouTube TV and a DirecTV Stream subscription can submit a claim for both using one claim form with information for each subscription.

The settlement also distinguishes between class members based on where they lived during the class period:

• Repealer jurisdictions: States and territories that allow indirect purchaser antitrust claims (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin)
• Non-repealer jurisdictions: All other states and territories

How much can class members get?

Class members who submit a valid and timely claim form will receive a pro rata cash payment. The amount they receive will be proportional to the length of their YouTube TV and/or DirecTV Stream subscription during the class period.

The settlement administrator will divide the net settlement fund as follows:

• 90% allocated to class members who resided in a repealer jurisdiction at any time during the class period
• 10% allocated to class members in non-repealer jurisdictions

How to claim a settlement payment

To receive a cash payment, class members will need to submit a valid claim form by the deadline, which the administrator will set after the court grants preliminary approval. There is no settlement website for claim submission yet.

What proof or documentation will be required to submit a claim?

Class members will need to provide the length of their subscription(s).

Payout options

• Paper check
• Venmo
• PayPal
• Zelle
• ACH/direct deposit

$50 million settlement fund breakdown

The $50,000,000 settlement fund covers:

• Notice and administration costs: Amount not specified
• Attorneys' fees: Up to $15,000,000
• Service awards to class representatives: Up to $5,000 each
• Payments to eligible class members: The remainder of the fund

When is the Biddle v. The Walt Disney Co. payout date?

The settlement administrator will distribute payments after the court resolves any appeals and grants final approval of the settlement.

Why is there a class action settlement?

The class action lawsuit alleged The Walt Disney Co. violated federal and state antitrust and consumer protection laws by engaging in conduct that raised the prices of streaming live pay television services. The plaintiffs claimed that Disney's actions caused consumers to pay higher prices for YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream.

Disney denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid further litigation costs and risks.

Sources

1. Claim form
2. Settlement notice
3. Settlement agreement