Conservative news network Newsmax files antitrust lawsuit against Fox
News
[September 04, 2025] By
DAVID BAUDER
NEW YORK (AP) — The conservative news network Newsmax filed an antitrust
lawsuit against Fox News on Wednesday, saying Fox has sought to maintain
its market dominance through intimidation and exclusionary business
practices designed to stifle competition.
Fox has sought to block television distributors from carrying Newsmax or
minimize its exposure, pressured guests not to appear on the rival
network and hired private detectives to investigate Newsmax executives,
said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in south Florida. Newsmax
seeks a jury trial.
Fox, in a statement, said “Newsmax cannot sue their way out of their own
competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines simply
because they can’t attract viewers.”
Newsmax, which has operated since 2014, is attacking Fox News at perhaps
its most popular point: the cable network's opinion programming has
consistently beaten broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC in prime time
over the summer months.
Its rivals pointed at a series of hardball business tactics in the
complex world of television distribution. Fox's success enables it to
charge distributors “outsized” fees to carry the network, and it tries
to force distributors either not to carry competitors who seek access to
conservative viewers or make it hard to find them.
Fox has also tried to deliberately block Newsmax from growing platforms
like Hulu, Sling and Fubo, the complaint alleged.
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 “Fox's behavior represents a
textbook abuse of monopoly power,” said Newsmax lawyer Michael J.
Guzman. “The law is clear: competition, not coercion, should decide
what news channels Americans can watch. By leveraging its must-have
status, Fox has blocked new voices, suppressed consumer choice, and
extracted excess profits.”
The lawsuit alleges Fox used an agency to set up social media
accounts that attacked Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, and hired private
detectives to investigate Newsmax executives. “Since the inception
of Newsmax's cable channel, Newsmax has faced threats and smear
intimidation tactics to hurt or undermine the company and its
executives,” the lawsuit said.
When Newsmax confronted Fox regarding anti-competitive conduct, Fox
News responded, “welcome to the big leagues,” the lawsuit said.
Newsmax has never approached Fox News in ratings power, but court
papers in lawsuits following the 2020 election revealed that Fox
executives became greatly concerned that its rival would take
advantage of viewer dissatisfaction following President Donald
Trump's election loss.
“Fox may have profited from exclusionary tactics and intimidation
tactics for years, but those days are over,” Ruddy said in a
statement.
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