Federal Judge Dismisses Newsmax Antitrust Suit Against Fox News

A U.S. District Judge appointed by President Donald Trump dismissed Newsmax's antitrust lawsuit against Fox News and Fox Corporation due to technical issues with the complaint, labeling it an impermissible 'shotgun pleading' where multiple counts improperly incorporated all prior allegations. The lawsuit accused Fox of using its market dominance to impose restrictive carriage agreements on distributors, effectively limiting Newsmax's distribution and hindering competition in the right-leaning pay TV news market. Judge Aileen Cannon gave Newsmax until September 11, 2025, to refile the complaint with specific factual allegations for each claim and without the flawed repetitive structure. Newsmax maintained the dismissal was a technical matter and plans to refile, asserting that Fox's actions harmed its business growth and reduced consumer choice. Fox News criticized the suit as an attempt by Newsmax to compensate for its own competitive failures. The case highlights the ongoing legal challenges smaller media companies face when contesting the market power of established outlets like Fox News.