Lawyers for Walt Disney on Tuesday asked a US judge to dismiss a pair of consumer antitrust cases alleging the media and entertainment company’s business contracts have artificially driven up the costs for rival video streaming services YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream.
In a court filing, Disney’s attorneys argued that the nine plaintiffs who filed the purported class action lawsuits in San Jose, California, in December “misconstrue basic antitrust and economic concepts.”
Related: New Suit Claims Disney Uses Hulu, ESPN To Raise Streaming Costs
The consumers alleged Disney’s ownership of the sports TV programmer ESPN — part of the base package for a YouTube TV subscription — has allowed the company to “set a price floor” in the market for TV streaming. The plaintiffs claimed they are paying more for their subscriptions than they would if ESPN were not part of the minimum service.
But Disney’s attorneys at Farella Braun + Martel and Cravath, Swaine & Moore contend the plaintiffs failed to show “a relevant antitrust market in which competition was harmed.” They also contend “the antitrust laws exist to protect competition, not individuals.”
Featured News
Tuta Mail Raises Alarm Over Google Search Ranking Plunge Amidst DMA Rollout
Apr 24, 2024 by
CPI
UK Regulator Investigates Tech Giants’ AI Partnerships Amid Competition Concerns
Apr 24, 2024 by
CPI
TikTok CEO Confident of Overcoming US Ban: ‘We’re Here to Stay’
Apr 24, 2024 by
CPI
EU Conducts First-Ever Raids on a Company Under Foreign Subsidies Regulation
Apr 23, 2024 by
CPI
FTC Moves to Ban Non-Compete Agreements, Aiming to Boost Labor Mobility
Apr 23, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI