MADISON, WI – Newsmax Broadcasting, LLC has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Fox Corporation and Fox News Network, alleging the media giant used its market dominance to stifle competition in right-leaning television news.
The complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, accuses Fox of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Wisconsin Antitrust Act through a years-long campaign to marginalize competitors such as Newsmax.
According to the 39-page filing, Newsmax claims Fox leveraged the popularity of Fox News Channel—the nation’s highest-rated cable news network—to pressure distributors into limiting or avoiding carriage of rival conservative outlets.
The lawsuit outlines three alleged tactics:
- Conditioning access to Fox News Channel on agreements that discourage distributors from carrying competitors like Newsmax.
- Forcing distributors to pay for lesser-watched Fox channels, such as Fox Business, as a financial penalty for also carrying rivals.
- Embedding contractual restrictions in carriage deals designed to prevent new entrants from gaining ground.
Newsmax argues that these practices delayed its growth in pay TV and online streaming markets, costing it critical advertising revenue and broader audience reach. The filing says that without Fox’s alleged conduct, Newsmax would have achieved wider distribution and reached “critical mass” with advertisers much sooner.
The lawsuit claims Fox’s actions not only harmed Newsmax but also deprived consumers of choice and raised costs in the “Right-leaning Pay TV News Market.”
Fox has not yet filed a response to the complaint.
Key Points
- Newsmax filed an antitrust lawsuit against Fox Corporation in Wisconsin federal court.
- The complaint accuses Fox of using its market power to block rival conservative networks from distributors.
- Newsmax claims lost revenue, slower growth, and suppressed competition in right-leaning news media.
Two conservative media rivals are now locked in a courtroom fight over the future of pay TV news.