The Walt Disney Company has agreed to a $50 million settlement to settle a class-action suit that alleges the company artificially inflated the Live TV streaming subscription prices.
The suit alleged that Disney forced providers like YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream to include popular channels like ESPN in the base packages. Consequently, this made it impossible for the live TV streaming services to offer cheaper, skinny bundle plans.
An overview of the Disney antitrust class action lawsuit
The Disney class action lawsuit alleged that the company engaged in practices that forced streaming services to inflate their subscription prices, a move that violated federal and state antitrust and consumer protection laws.
“The lawsuit alleges Defendant [Disney] violated federal antitrust law and various state antitrust and consumer-protection laws by engaging in various forms of conduct to raise the prices of Streaming Live Pay Television.”
The main contention of the lawsuit was that Disney strongarmed Live TV streaming providers to carry “must-have” Disney channels like ESPN in their core packages. The inclusion of these channels artificially inflated subscription prices, with subscribers incurring the costs.
Triple M
Disney has denied any wrongdoing, but it has agreed to settle the suit to avoid further litigation.
Who is eligible for the Disney $50 million settlement?
The Disney $50 million settlement applies to two classes: the YouTube TV Settlement Class and the DirecTV Stream Settlement Class.
For YouTube TV, subscribers who purchased a YouTube TV subscription between April 1 2019 and March 31, 2026, are eligible to file a claim.
For DirecTV Stream, subscribers who purchased a DirecTV live pay TV package (including DirecTV Now, DirecTV Stream, and AT&T TV Now) between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026, are eligible to file a claim.
How to claim your settlement share?
If you are eligible for the Disney settlement, you can file a claim by filling out and submitting a claim form on the settlement website.
You can also file a claim by mail by filling out, signing, and mailing the claim form to:
Biddle v. Disney
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 4720
Portland, OR 97208-4720
Online claim forms must be filed by September 8, 2026, while claims by mail must be postmarked by the same date.
Note: if you are an eligible subscriber but fail to file a claim, you will receive no settlement benefits and will be giving up your legal rights in the lawsuit.
You can also opt to stay in the settlement lawsuit, but object to the details (though you will be bound by the settlement if the court approves it), or exclude yourself from the settlement and retain the right to sue Disney on your own.