Disney has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class action lawsuit over the cost of live TV streaming, and YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream subscribers who paid for either service on or after April 1, 2019, can file a claim for a share of the fund. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila granted final approval on March 19, 2026, in Biddle et al. v. The Walt Disney Company, filed in the Northern District of California.1Courthouse News Service. Disney Settles Livestream Subscriber Class Action for $50 Million The claim deadline is September 8, 2026.2Online TV Settlement. Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company Settlement
Who Qualifies for a Payment
Two groups of subscribers are covered:
- Anyone who purchased a YouTube TV subscription between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026.
- Anyone who purchased a DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription, including services previously branded as DirecTV Now and AT&T TV Now, between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026.
Fubo subscribers are not part of this settlement.2Online TV Settlement. Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company Settlement Illinois residents are also excluded, because Illinois law bars indirect purchaser class actions.3ClassAction.org. Disney Motion for Preliminary Approval
The settlement splits the net fund by state law. Ninety percent goes to class members in “repealer jurisdictions” (states that allow indirect purchasers to bring antitrust claims), and ten percent goes to members in “non-repealer jurisdictions.”3ClassAction.org. Disney Motion for Preliminary Approval
How to File a Claim
Payments are not automatic. To receive money, eligible subscribers must submit a claim online or by mail through the settlement website at onlinetvsettlement.com. Class members are being notified by email and by postcard mailed to physical addresses.1Courthouse News Service. Disney Settles Livestream Subscriber Class Action for $50 Million
The key dates:
- September 8, 2026: deadline to file a claim or to exclude yourself from the settlement.
- December 1, 2026: deadline to file an objection.
- January 14, 2027, at 9:00 a.m.: final approval hearing.2Online TV Settlement. Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company Settlement
How Much You Could Receive
The $50 million fund is non-reversionary, meaning nothing goes back to Disney if some of it is unclaimed. Up to $15.11 million may be awarded for attorney fees and litigation costs, and each named plaintiff is eligible for a service award of up to $5,000.1Courthouse News Service. Disney Settles Livestream Subscriber Class Action for $50 Million4ClaimDepot. YouTube TV DirecTV $50M Price-Fixing Settlement Coming Soon
What’s left is divided among valid claimants on a pro rata basis, calculated by how long each person subscribed to YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream, using one-year tiers.3ClassAction.org. Disney Motion for Preliminary Approval Longer subscription histories translate to a larger share.
No specific per-person estimate has been published. Plaintiffs’ attorneys projected that only 3% to 5% of the estimated 11 to 17 million potential claimants would actually file. Judge Davila raised concerns about that low participation rate at the March 2026 hearing and asked whether more outreach could improve it.1Courthouse News Service. Disney Settles Livestream Subscriber Class Action for $50 Million If few people file, individual payouts for those who do could be meaningfully larger, since the fund is designed to be fully distributed among valid claimants.
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The complaint, first filed in November 2022, targeted the carriage contracts Disney negotiated with streaming pay TV providers.5ClassAction.org. $50M Disney Settlement to End Litigation Over Alleged Antitrust Violations Linked to Live Streaming Prices Plaintiffs alleged that Disney used ESPN, the most expensive cable channel in the United States, to force two contract terms that pushed prices up across the market. First, Disney allegedly required streaming platforms to include ESPN in their cheapest base package. Second, the agreements allegedly contained “most favored nation” clauses that prevented providers from undercutting the price increases that came with carrying ESPN.6ClassAction.org. Disney’s Control of Hulu, ESPN Has Caused YouTube TV, Other Platforms’ Prices to Almost Double, Class Action Alleges
The lawsuit claimed streaming subscription prices nearly doubled as a result. YouTube TV’s base package rose from $35 to $65. Plaintiffs pointed to statements YouTube TV made during 2021 contract negotiations indicating it could offer a base plan without ESPN for $15 per month if not for its agreement with Disney.6ClassAction.org. Disney’s Control of Hulu, ESPN Has Caused YouTube TV, Other Platforms’ Prices to Almost Double, Class Action Alleges The complaint also alleged Disney used its 2019 acquisition of Hulu to set a “price floor” by raising the cost of Hulu + Live TV, ensuring competitors couldn’t offer anything cheaper.5ClassAction.org. $50M Disney Settlement to End Litigation Over Alleged Antitrust Violations Linked to Live Streaming Prices
The claims relied on the Sherman Antitrust Act and various state antitrust and consumer protection laws. Disney denied wrongdoing and said it settled to avoid the costs and risks of continued litigation.4ClaimDepot. YouTube TV DirecTV $50M Price-Fixing Settlement Coming Soon
What Disney Also Agreed to Change
Beyond the money, the settlement requires Disney to change certain business practices for three years. During carriage negotiations, Disney must consider proposals from streaming providers that would allow packages excluding some or all Disney networks, including ESPN. Disney must also maintain “information walls” between the people who negotiate for its linear networks like ESPN and the people who negotiate for its streaming distribution arm like Hulu + Live TV, so confidential negotiation data isn’t shared across the two sides.7Courthouse News Service. Settlement Agreement, Disney Livestream
The provisions target the two practices plaintiffs said drove prices up: mandatory ESPN bundling and Disney’s information advantage from sitting on both sides of the negotiating table.
Related Cases That Are Not Part of This Settlement
Two other Disney disputes have drawn attention in the same period, and neither pays claimants under this settlement.
A separate class action, Unger v. The Walt Disney Co., was filed in January 2025 in the Southern District of New York by a Fubo subscriber making similar allegations about ESPN bundling.8ClassAction.org. Unger v. The Walt Disney Company Complaint It was transferred to the Northern District of California for consolidation with Biddle before Judge Davila.9PACER Monitor. Unger v. The Walt Disney Company At the March 2026 approval hearing, Disney argued that following its 2025 acquisition of a majority stake in Fubo, the arbitration clause in Fubo’s terms of service should apply to two Fubo subscribers’ claims. Plaintiffs’ counsel countered that Disney was a competitor when those subscribers signed up and wasn’t named in Fubo’s terms. The motion was still under submission at the hearing.1Courthouse News Service. Disney Settles Livestream Subscriber Class Action for $50 Million
Separately, on August 21, 2025, Disney launched ESPN as a standalone streaming service, ESPN Unlimited, at $29.99 per month, along with a cheaper ESPN Select tier at $11.99 per month.10The Walt Disney Company. ESPN’s Direct-to-Consumer Launch Date11Variety. ESPN Streaming Service Launch Date, Pricing The launch gave consumers a way to access ESPN’s programming without subscribing to a broader live TV bundle, but it has no effect on eligibility or payment under the Biddle settlement.