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Sara Fischer: Newsmax files antitrust lawsuit against Fox

Thought Leader: Sara Fischer
September 3, 2025
Source: Axios
Written by: Sara Fischer

Newsmax on Wednesday filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against cable news rival Fox, alleging the network used unfair practices to illegally stifle competition among conservative cable networks.

Why it matters: The lawsuit alleges Fox News has used its viewership dominance to coerce pay-TV providers to sign exclusionary contracts that prevent cable networks like Newsmax from getting adequate distribution.

Zoom in: In a statement, Newsmax said Fox “abused its dominance in the right-leaning pay TV news market for years by coercing distributors into unfair carriage agreements designed to exclude or marginalize competitors like Newsmax.”

The other side: “Newsmax cannot sue their way out of their own competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines simply because they can’t attract viewers,” Fox News said in a statement.

Between the lines: The lawsuit, filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, makes the case that Fox’s tactics didn’t just harm Newsmax, but consumer choice as well.

Zoom out: Fox and Newsmax have a contentious history. In its lawsuit, Newsmax cited evidence that Fox News executives were threatened by Newsmax’s ratings growth following the 2020 election.

What’s next: Newsmax is seeking monetary damages as well as court orders that would prevent Fox from continuing exclusionary contracts and mandate “equitable relief to restore competition in right-leaning pay TV news.”

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