Antitrust lawsuits over higher prices: what they say and where each case stands
Anticompetitive pricing is when a company pushes prices up by limiting competition rather than by competing, for example through deals with rivals or rules that keep cheaper options out. Lawsuits claim this happened with YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream, where they say Disney pushed up subscription prices, and with ATM fees, where they say Visa and Mastercard rules kept fees higher. These are allegations, and the companies may dispute them. This page lists each lawsuit, what it alleges, and where it stands.
Open for claims now
These settlements are taking claims. Check who qualifies and the deadline on each one.
Claims closed
The deadline to file a claim has passed for these settlements.
- DirecTV Stream settlementDisney allegedly used its control of ESPN to force streaming services to raise DirecTV Stream subscriber prices.
- YouTube TV settlementDisney allegedly used its control of ESPN to force streaming services to raise YouTube TV subscriber prices.
What is anticompetitive pricing?
"Antitrust" refers to the laws meant to keep markets competitive. In plain terms, they are aimed at practices such as agreeing with rivals on prices, or a dominant company using its position to shut out competition. The FTC's guide to the antitrust laws explains that these laws are meant to protect the competition that tends to keep prices down and choices up. The Justice Department's Antitrust Division also enforces them.
An "overcharge" claim says consumers paid more than they would have in a competitive market. These lawsuits usually argue that the extra cost was passed along, so ordinary buyers ended up paying part of it, even if they never dealt with the company directly.
The cases on this page make different kinds of claims. The YouTube TV lawsuit against Disney and the DirecTV Stream lawsuit against Disney say Disney used its control of ESPN to require streaming services to carry and pay for its channels on its terms, and that subscribers paid higher prices as a result. The Visa and Mastercard ATM fee case says the card networks had rules that kept independent ATM operators from offering lower fees to people who used cheaper networks.
Some antitrust cases end without any payment to consumers. The list above shows where each one stands.
Products named in these lawsuits
Being on this list means a lawsuit names the product. It does not mean a court has found anything wrong with it.
- DirecTV Stream
- YouTube TV
- Non-bank ATM withdrawals (Visa & Mastercard networks)