A PYMNTS Company

US: Cablevision settles cable box antitrust lawsuit

By  |  December 17, 2015

Cablevision has settled a lawsuit accusing the company of antitrust violations for denying access to third-party boxes at competitive prices. According to Multichannel News, the suit was settled after six years of litigation, and will involve an unspecified cash payout and “substantial injunctive relief.”

Cablevision has also agreed to pay the plaintiffs’ $9.5 million in legal fees. Users involved in the suit get a variety of freebies that likely don’t come close to the amount spent on being forced to rent a cable box.

According to the plaintiffs, the settlement obligates Cablevision to support certain third-party set-top boxes and work with third parties that want their boxes to operate on Cablevision systems.

The settlement comes as Altice and Cablevision try to get their proposed merger agreement through the regulatory process.

Full content: Reuters

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.