Today, September 8, 2026, is the final day for eligible customers to file a claim for a portion of a $50 million partial settlement between class members and The Walt Disney Company over alleged anticompetitive conduct affecting live television streaming prices.
Who is eligible and what period counts?
The settlement covers two defined groups under the Biddle et al. v. The Walt Disney Company case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California:
- People who purchased a YouTube TV subscription at any time between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026.
- People who purchased DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now or AT&T TV Now during that same period.
FuboTV subscribers are not included in this partial settlement; their claims remain unresolved in separate parts of the broader litigation, according to the settlement notices and multiple news reports.
How much will claimants receive?
No fixed per-person amount has been published. The settlement creates a gross fund of $50 million; after administration costs, attorney fees and other approved expenses are deducted, the remaining net fund will be distributed pro rata. Payments will be proportional to the length of each qualifying YouTube TV and/or DirecTV Stream subscription and to the number of valid claims filed.
Sources reporting on the settlement emphasise the final payment per claimant is uncertain because it depends on the eventual number of approved claims and the court’s approval of attorney fees. Class counsel may request up to 30 percent of the $50 million fund for attorney fees, though the court can award a different amount.
State-based allocation: what "repealer" jurisdictions mean for you
The settlement divides the net fund between two geographic groups. Ninety percent of the net settlement fund is reserved for class members who lived at any point during the class period in the jurisdictions designated as “repealer jurisdictions” under the agreement; the remaining 10 percent is allocated to class members in “non-repealer jurisdictions.” Several local outlets published the complete lists of states and territories in each bucket; examples of states listed as repealer jurisdictions include California, New York and Florida, while Texas and Pennsylvania were listed among non-repealer jurisdictions in those reports.
How to file and the immediate deadlines
- File online at OnlineTVSettlement.com or mail a paper claim so it is postmarked by Sept. 8, 2026. Reporting indicates many class members received mailed or emailed notices containing a Unique ID and PIN to simplify online filing; recipients should check spam folders if they did not find an expected notice.
- People who subscribed to both services can submit one claim reporting both subscriptions.
- The deadline to exclude yourself from the settlement is also Sept. 8, 2026; objections to the proposed settlement can be filed through Dec. 1, 2026.
Timing for final approval and payments
The court has scheduled a final fairness hearing for January 14, 2027 before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila. If the court gives final approval and there are no successful objections that delay the process, distributions to approved claimants will follow. Reporters and the settlement administrator caution that distributions often take months to reach consumers after claims close, and no exact payout date has been published.
What the lawsuit alleged and Disney’s response
Plaintiffs alleged Disney used its market position and carriage agreements—explicitly naming channels such as ESPN and pointing to Disney’s control of Hulu—to raise baseline prices for live-streaming packages, pushing YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream base prices higher during the class period. The complaint cited, as an example in court filings, increases in YouTube TV’s base price from $35 to $73 during the broader timeframe discussed in the case. Disney denied wrongdoing and has not admitted liability; it agreed to this partial settlement with YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream plaintiffs to resolve those claims.
Practical checklist for potential claimants (value-add)
- Locate any mailed or emailed settlement notice. If you received a notice, use the Unique ID and PIN when filing online.
- Confirm the subscription dates for YouTube TV and/or DirecTV Stream fall between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026. Note that prior brand names DirecTV Now and AT&T TV Now are included in the DirecTV Stream class.
- If you did not receive a notice, prepare the email address or phone number tied to the subscription and the account number if available—administrators report they can often verify eligibility without additional receipts.
- Decide whether to file a claim or opt out by Sept. 8, 2026. Missing the deadline eliminates the right to receive money from this fund and leaves you bound by the settlement if it is approved.
- Keep confirmation records after filing and monitor OnlineTVSettlement.com for updates following the Jan. 14, 2027 fairness hearing.
Open questions and potential wrinkles
Reports note several unresolved elements: the exact per-claim payout, the court’s decision on requested attorney fees (which could be up to $15 million if the requested 30 percent is approved), and whether objections could delay final approval. Also, FuboTV subscribers remain outside this part of the settlement because that subset has not settled with Disney.
“If you qualify, you have just days to file a claim,” advised one local news account summarising the administrative deadline.
Eligible subscribers who want any chance at a payment should file according to the procedures above before the close of business on Sept. 8, 2026.