Law firms jockey over stake in Disney consumer antitrust settlement
Disney in June agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to settle a class action lawsuit by YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and FuboTV subscribers represented by law firm Bathaee Dunne who claimed the company harmed competition for live-streamed paid television through agreements with providers.
Rival plaintiffs' lawyers at law firms DiCello Levitt and Lite DePalma Greenberg & Afanador, who represent Fubo consumers in a related lawsuit against Disney, complained in a Tuesday court filing, opens new tab that they were excluded from the negotiations.
The filing accused Bathaee Dunne, which sued first in 2022, of allowing Disney to engage in a 'reverse auction' by agreeing to an inadequate settlement at the expense of other plaintiffs.
The Bathaee Dunne firm has denied allowing a lowball settlement and said in court filings, opens new tab that the deal is contingent on the firm being appointed as lead counsel for classes of YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo subscribers.
Bathaee Dunne said the rival attorneys are 'newly-arrived' and that their jockeying for a bigger seat at the table could derail the settlement.
Disney, which has denied any wrongdoing, and a lawyer for the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lead plaintiffs' attorneys in both cases also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Disney controls live-stream provider Hulu and the sports network ESPN. Disney has required streaming providers such as YouTube TV to include ESPN as part of a base package. The consumer lawsuits contend Disney's business agreements artificially increased consumer prices across the market for livestreamed television.
The proposed Disney settlement features a monetary component and other benefits, but the terms have not been publicly disclosed.
Disney in a recent filing said the proposed settlement is not open to renegotiation.
The cases are Biddle v. The Walt Disney Co and Unger v. The Walt Disney Co, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Nos. 5:22-cv-07317 and 5:25-cv-01163.
For Biddle: Yavar Bathaee and Brian Dunne of Bathaee Dunne
For Unger: Joseph DePalma and Steven Greenfogel of Lite DePalma Greenberg & Afanador; Greg Asciolla and Carrie Syme of DiCello Levitt
For Disney: Daniel Petrocelli of O'Melveny & Myers
Read more:
Disney's Hulu + Live TV business to combine with Fubo, clearing way for Venu Sports
US Justice Dept, states back FuboTV in lawsuit over streaming sports venture
Disney must face consumer antitrust claims in TV streaming lawsuits
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
India will buy Russian oil despite Trump's threats, NYT reports
Aug 2 (Reuters) - Indian officials have said they would keep purchasing oil from Russia despite the threat of penalties that U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kim Zolciak admits she used daughter's modeling earnings to pay bills out of desperation
Kim Zolciak admitted to stealing her daughter Ariana Biermann's money on Thursday — and the model watched her mom's confession from the front row of a live audience. The 47-year-old appeared on Watch What Happens Live, where she told host Andy Cohen that she spent all of her daughter's modeling income from her teen years - but she insisted that she only used it to pay bills out of desperation amid her home foreclosure drama and her ugly divorce from her estranged husband Kroy Biermann, 39. Elsewhere in the interview, the former Real Housewives Of Atlanta star revealed that she had moved on with a new man after splitting from the ex-NFL player, though she kept his identity a secret. While speaking of turning to her children for financial supporting, Kim claimed that 'the rug was pulled out from the Zolciaks.' She said: 'I was left holding the bag for the family, and yeah. . . ' Zolciak also confirmed that it wasn't just 23-year-old Ariana's money that went to paying for necessities, as her daughter Brielle, 28, also pitched in money 'for the bills and stuff,' though it sounded as if she at least had the option to consent to giving up her money. Ariana previously claimed on her reality series Next Gen NYC that her mother and stepfather didn't tell her that they had used all of the money she had earned from modeling gigs and influencer jobs. However, Zolciak appeared to have worked things out with her daughter, as Ariana didn't look overly angry with her mother during the segment, and she beamed widely when Zolciak and Cohen talked about more upbeat topics. The reality TV star added that she had already repaid Ariana's money that had gone toward bills, and she suggested that she had 'spreadsheets' of what her daughter had made over the years to balance further down the road. But Cohen didn't buy that Zolciak had done full due diligence on her debts to her second-oldest daughter. He quipped: 'I don't imagine you have any spreadsheets.' Zolciak admitted: 'I don't have — I don't even know how to do it!' She was more animated during her appearance when the reality star admitted she was seeing a new man after splitting from Biermann. Kim said: 'He's just great. You know, I sat in the house and just worked and tried to take care of everything for 20 months, and then I finally met somebody great.' She didn't reveal her new man's identity, but she did say that a mutual friend had introduced them. Kim also indicated that things were tense with her estranged husband, though the pressure seemed to have gone down a bit after she had moved out of their mansion outside of Atlanta into her own home. She said: 'I would definitely prefer to communicate more regarding the children, but it's just not there right now.' The exes share four minor children: Kroy 'KJ' Jr., 14; Kash, 12; and fraternal twins Kane and Kaia, 11. Kim's adult daughters, Brielle and Ariana, both come from previous relationships.
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Iconic rock singer forced to reschedule tour after suffering painful injury as fans left devastated and concerned
AN ICONIC rock singer has been forced to reschedule their tour after enduring a painful injury. Stevie Nicks, 77, has shared with her fans how due to a recent injury, she will need time to recover before taking to the stage again. 5 5 5 The Fleetwood Mac icon fractured her shoulder and will need to recover throughout the summer and early fall. Her August and September tour dates will soon be rescheduled, with her October tour dates remaining unchanged. A statement was shared on Stevie's Instagram page. The message read, "Due to a recent injury resulting in a fractured shoulder that will require recovery time, Stevie Nicks' scheduled concerts in August and September will be rescheduled. "Please note that October dates will be unaffected. "Stevie looks forward to seeing everyone soon and apologizes to the fans for this inconvenience." Stevie was originally set to kick off her tour in August. The earliest fans can hope to see the iconic rocker in concert after her shoulder injury will be in the autumn. She is due to perform on October 1 in Portland, Oregon. Some fans, who were due to see her perform at the now-rescheduled shows, have expressed their upset under the post. Fleetwood Mac fans are convinced Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are 'getting back together' after spotting 'clues' "NOOOOOOOOO I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE NEXT WEEK," said one. "I was so excited to go for my birthday. Wishing you a speedy recovery all the same," added another. But most of the comments underneath the post were wishing Stevie well and begging for her speedy recovery. "Heal quickly and safely goddess," penned one. "Get well soon! We will all be waiting on you," added another. "DONT TAKE UNNECESSARY RISKS STEVIE," demanded a third. While a third joked, "Someone was supposed to bubble wrap her!!" The news of Stevie's injury comes after the news of her out-of-print album Buckingham Nicks would soon be reissued. The album was a collaborative LP with her then-lover Lindsey Buckingham. The project preceded the musicians joining a revamped Fleetwood Mac lineup. The announcement of the reissuing of the LP came after Stevie posted a picture with her cursive handwriting that said 'And if you go forward…' Then, just 30 minutes later, Lindsey shared a post of his own that completed the lyric, which read: '… I'll meet you there.' Lindsey and Stevie began dating in the late 1960s and went on to form the musical duo, Buckingham Nicks, shortly after. They joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974 and found instant success with the band - catapulting all five members, including Mick, John McVie, and Christine McVie, into worldwide sensations. Although they were at the height of their careers and continued to have to work together in the same band, Stevie and Lindsey officially broke up in 1976. 5 5
