Clash on conservative broadcasting leads to legal action: Newsmax files lawsuit against Fox News

In an unprecedented move, right-wing TV news outlet Newsmax has filed a lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corp, in Florida. The lawsuit, filed on April 3, 2025, alleges that Fox has engaged in illegal practices to suppress the growth of Newsmax in the cable news market.

At the heart of the dispute is Fox News' dominance as the most-watched cable channel in the nation. However, this dominance has not been without controversy. Fox News' decision to call the key state of Arizona for Joe Biden before any other network in 2020 led to outrage among its pro-Trump audience, causing it to lose millions of viewers.

The lawsuit contends that Fox Corporation has engaged in an exclusionary scheme to increase and maintain its dominance in the market for U.S. right-leaning pay TV news. Newsmax alleges that Fox engages in anticompetitive practices, including imposing "no carry" provisions for competing right-wing outlets, requiring carriers to carry Fox Business and sister outlets, and inserting contractual barriers to prevent competition.

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Miami. Newsmax accuses Fox of using its significant market power and leverage to impose demands on distributors of its content, effectively keeping independent conservative cable news channels like Newsmax off leading platforms for many years.

Raj Shah, a former Trump administration spokesperson and Fox Corp. executive, stated that Fox was concerned about Newsmax and One America News Network. Executives at Fox routinely cited Newsmax as a threat. Christopher Ruddy, the founder and CEO of Newsmax, echoed this sentiment, stating that Fox has been effective in keeping Newsmax off leading platforms like Hulu and Sling.

The lawsuit comes amidst the fallout from President Trump's electoral loss in 2020. Rupert Murdoch, Fox Corp. controlling owner and Fox News founder, expressed concern about Newsmax. Fox ultimately paid $787.5 million in 2023 to settle a defamation suit filed by Dominion Voting Systems over lies embraced and amplified by its hosts that Dominion had helped to cheat Trump of the election. No such evidence ever emerged.

Fox News Media rejected the allegation, stating that Newsmax cannot sue its way out of its own competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines. However, an executive stated that if Newsmax were to siphon off 5-10% of Fox's audience, it could "drastically change the landscape."

Newsmax calls Fox Business "little-watched," but the network routinely bests competitor CNBC in ratings. Despite this, Fox News remains a high priority for cable providers and digital services seeking to attract viewers and paying subscribers.

The lawsuit claims that Fox had secret agreements with cable companies to block Newsmax and other independent conservative cable news channels from getting carriage. Fox executives were reportedly tracking the guests booked and topics covered on Newsmax.

As the legal battle unfolds, the implications for the future of right-wing news media in the U.S. could be significant. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.