Newsmax files lawsuit against Fox News, citing “monopolistic” practices

News | By Easton Martin | September 3, 2025

Newsmax has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The suit accuses Fox of using exclusionary and monopolistic practices to block Newsmax’s growth in the conservative cable news market.

According to the complaint, Fox pressured television distributors to limit or refuse carriage of Newsmax and other right leaning outlets such as One America News. The lawsuit claims Fox imposed harsh financial terms on distributors that offered competing channels, discouraged guest appearances on Newsmax, orchestrated smear campaigns online, and even hired private investigators to target company executives.

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said the case is about restoring fairness and consumer choice. He emphasized that Newsmax reaches more than 40 million Americans and argued that Fox’s tactics have unfairly restricted that reach. The company is seeking monetary damages that could be tripled under federal antitrust law, along with court orders to stop the alleged conduct.

Fox News rejected the lawsuit, saying Newsmax is attempting to cover up its own struggles to attract viewers. The network described the claims as baseless and an effort to gain attention.