Ninth Circuit Rejects Consumer Antitrust Challenge To Cable Television Bundling

The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed the dismissal of a consumer class action challenging the television programming industry's practice of exclusively offering multi-channel cable packages. Brantley v. NBC Universal, Inc. No. 09-56785 (9th Cir. June 3, 2011). In so holding, the Court affirmed that allegations regarding widespread harm to consumers (either through increased prices, reduced choice, or both) -- without some separate, cognizable injury to competition -- fail to state a Section 1, Sherman Act claim.

Brantley involved a putative nationwide class of consumers suing two groups of industry participants: (1) programmers in the upstream market who sell television channels and programs to distributors; and (2) distributors in the downstream retail market who sell the programming to consumers. Plaintiffs alleged that programmers exploit market power derived from "must-have," high-demand channels by bundling or tying them with less desirable, low-demand channels