Disney to compensate YouTube TV and DirecTV users with $50 million payout

YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream users might be in line for a cash payout after Disney agreed to a $50 million settlement over claims that it pressured these services to hike their subscription prices. If you were subscribed to either platform between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, you can file a claim under this proposed settlement.

To participate, claims must be submitted through the online settlement portal by September 8, 2026. Details about eligibility can be found in the court-authorized notice. While the exact payout per user hasn’t been disclosed, payments are anticipated to be distributed following the final approval hearing scheduled for January 14, 2027.

This settlement stems from a class action lawsuit initiated by four YouTube TV subscribers in 2022. They alleged that Disney’s carriage agreements with competing streaming live pay television (SLPTV) services granted it excessive pricing power across the market. The lawsuit pointed out that Disney’s ownership of ESPN and Hulu— the second-largest SLPTV provider after YouTube— enabled it to manipulate prices by inflating its own product costs. Additionally, rival distributors were reportedly compelled to include ESPN in their standard channel packages, limiting their ability to offer more affordable bundles.

The settlement was reached in March, with preliminary approval from the US district court in Northern California later that month, although Disney maintains it did nothing wrong.

This situation follows a series of carriage disputes between Disney, YouTube, and DirecTV, which led to Disney temporarily removing its channels from these streaming platforms. A 15-day blackout of Disney-owned channels on YouTube TV last year reportedly cost Disney around $110 million in lost revenue—significantly more than the compensation expected for YouTube and DirecTV subscribers.