DIRECTV Demands Documents in Nexstar Antitrust Lawsuit
DIRECTV filed a motion to compel document production from Nexstar Media Group amid an ongoing price-fixing lawsuit.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Television
Live Poll
Should federal regulators limit the number of local TV stations one company can own?
DIRECTV has filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to force Nexstar Media Group to produce documents related to a price-fixing lawsuit. The motion challenges Nexstar’s recent efforts to claw back hundreds of records.
Why it matters
The dispute centers on allegations that Nexstar orchestrated a horizontal price-fixing conspiracy regarding retransmission consent fees. DIRECTV is invoking the crime-fraud exception to challenge Nexstar’s claims of attorney-client privilege regarding sidecar stations.
Nexstar issued clawback notices for 751 documents, including 652 items recalled on October 19, 2026. The lawsuit, originally filed in March 2023, involves allegations that Nexstar used sidecar stations to circumvent federal ownership limits.
The players
DIRECTV
This American multichannel video programming distributor provides satellite television services to millions of subscribers nationwide.
Nexstar Media Group
This is the largest owner of local television stations in the United States and produces original content for broadcast.
Perry Sook
He serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Nexstar Media Group and leads the company's strategic operations.
Robert Lehrburger
He is a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York who is presiding over the discovery disputes in this case.
Eric Sahl
He is a negotiator who allegedly funneled rate proposals from various stations to the executives at Nexstar.
The details
DIRECTV alleges that Nexstar CEO Perry Sook and other executives received sensitive pricing information from negotiator Eric Sahl, who reportedly funneled rate proposals from sidecar stations to inflate fees. The filing seeks an award of attorney fees following the defendant's failure to comply with a June 2026 court order to produce non-privileged documents.
Timeline
March 2023: The lawsuit was initially filed in court.
June 23, 2026: The court ordered defendants to produce non-privileged documents.
October 19, 2026: Nexstar issued a clawback notice for 652 items.
October 30, 2026: DIRECTV filed the current motion to compel in the Southern District of New York.
November 4, 2026: A hearing is scheduled with the magistrate judge to address the discovery dispute.
Industry Dynamics
This case follows a broader trend of legal challenges targeting the consolidation of broadcast station ownership and the use of operational sidecar agreements. It underscores the ongoing industry battle regarding retransmission consent fees and their impact on market competition.
This legal conflict could influence the future pricing and availability of local broadcast channels on satellite television platforms. Consumers may experience channel blackouts if negotiations over retransmission fees between distributors and station owners continue to stagnate.
The takeaway
The outcome of this discovery dispute may set a precedent for how media groups share pricing data across owned and affiliated stations. Readers should monitor ongoing contract negotiations between their local stations and satellite providers to understand potential service disruptions.
What happens next
Magistrate Judge Robert Lehrburger is scheduled to hold a hearing on November 4, 2026, to address the discovery disputes and the motion to compel.
Further reading
For more on the regulatory and business climate of broadcast distribution, visit Television.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cord Cutters News.
Live Poll
Should federal regulators limit the number of local TV stations one company can own?
