Disney agrees to pay $50 million to YouTube TV and DirecTV subscribers

YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream customers may be eligible for refunds, after Disney agreed to pay $50 million to settle claims that forced the services to increase subscription prices. Anyone who subscribed to YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026 is eligible to order according to the contract provided.

All applications must be submitted to a social networking sites by September 8, 2026, and you can find more information about interest eligibility in this notice authorized by the court. It was not specified how big the refund would be for each user, but the payment is expected to be distributed after the final approval, which will take place on January 14, 2027, in Alabama. AL.com reports.

A contract follows class action lawsuit sued Disney and four YouTube TV subscribers in 2022, alleging that the content of Disney’s contracts with its TV competitor (SLPTV) gave it “price power throughout the market.” The lawsuit alleges that Disney’s ownership of ESPN and Hulu — the latter the second-largest SLPTV provider behind YouTube — allowed it to influence prices across all streaming markets and raise the price of its products. Rival broadcasters say they were forced to include ESPN in their standard packages, which prevented them from offering cheaper bundles.

The termination agreement reached in March, the US District Court in Northern California upheld the agreement later that month, although Disney denies any wrongdoing.

This follows traffic collisions in the middle Disney, YouTubeand DirecTV which has caused Disney to withdraw its strategies temporarily from its competitors. The 15-day blackout of Disney channels on YouTube TV last year was cost Disney $110 million in lost revenue — more than double what YouTube and DirecTV are expected to pay subscribers.