Dave Schafer is a passionate storyteller and tech enthusiast. He’s been writing professionally since 2014 and has covered a wide range of topics, from cable and internet providers to VPNs to web hosting. Dave’s work has been featured on publications like All About Cookies, SatelliteInternet.com, and HighSpeedInternet.com, among others.
As a writer, Dave enjoys taking complex topics and making them understandable and relatable to everyday readers — whether that’s exploring the intricacies of a VPN or helping someone choose a better piece of software.
When not writing, Dave enjoys spending time with his family, running, playing the guitar, camping, and serving in his community. His favorite place is the Blue Ridge Mountains, and one day he hopes to retire there (hopefully his fear of heights will have retired by then, too!).
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Summary
- Disney agreed to a $50M settlement in Biddle v. Disney over live TV streaming pricing.
- The YouTube TV and DirecTV portions of the case have been settled — FuboTV is ongoing.
- Eligible customers have until September 8 to file a claim.
Disney has reached a $50 million settlement in a class action lawsuit related to the cost of live TV streaming. Eligible parties have until September 8 to file a claim for a portion of the settlement.
What the Disney lawsuit is all about
The lawsuit in question is Biddle v. Disney, and it’s centered around streaming service pricing. The case essentially claims Disney violated antitrust and consumer protection laws by using its control of various channels to push the cost of streaming services higher. The specific complaint is around ESPN and other Disney-owned channels being tied into basic packages, forcing streaming services to charge more for them than they would have otherwise.
At this time, Disney has agreed to settle with YouTube TV and DirecTV plaintiffs. FuboTV is also involved in the lawsuit, but that portion of the suit is still ongoing.
Who’s eligible?
Requirements are pretty loose
Eligibility is pretty straightforward:
- YouTube TV: Anyone who purchased a YouTube TV subscription between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026 is eligible.
- DirecTV: This one is more specific. To be eligible, you must have purchased a “DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription” between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026. Eligible subscriptions include DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now, and AT&T TV Now.
That’s it — as long as you fall into one of those two categories, you can submit a claim. If you are eligible, you should receive a notice in the mail or via email with information to help you file a claim.
How to submit a claim
The simplest way to file a claim in this case is to head to the official settlement website and click Start Your Claim. This avoids any potential scams or delays with physically mailing a claim. You’ll need the ID and PIN from your notice to submit the claim. If you don’t have a notice, you can contact the settlement administrator — instructions can be found on the submission page.
How much are the payments?
Short answer: it depends
The notice does not specify a per-person payment amount. However, it does state that payments will be proportional to how long you had an affected service. Someone who only subscribed for a month or two will get a smaller amount than someone who had service for the entire affected period.
Location may impact how funds get divided — certain states are considered “Repealer Jurisdictions”, while the rest are “Non-Repealer Jurisdictions.” Most states fall under the Repealer umbrella, and the notice says 90% of the funds are allocated to those states. It’s unclear exactly how this will impact individual payment amounts, though.
When’s the deadline?
The deadline to file a claim is September 8, 2026. If you submit online, that is the last day to do so. If you’re mailing your claim, it needs to have been postmarked by that date.
YouTube TV is YouTube’s live TV streaming service, featuring over 100 channels. There are two plans available — “regular” YouTube TV and the new Sports Plan. Both feature unlimited DVR space, multiview, and multiple household accounts.