Judge Dismisses Newsmax's Antitrust Lawsuit Against Fox News, Allows Refiling

A federal judge has dismissed Newsmax's antitrust lawsuit against Fox News, citing technical deficiencies in the initial filing. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon labeled the complaint a "shotgun pleading," a term for disorganized complaints that fail to meet certain legal standards. The lawsuit, filed on September 3, accused Fox News of suppressing competition in the conservative-leaning pay-TV market by coercing distributors to exclude or limit Newsmax's reach.

Judge Cannon's order, issued on Friday, set a deadline of September 11 for Newsmax to submit a revised version of the complaint. She emphasized that the amended filing "must not contain any successive counts that incorporate all prior allegations."

In response to the dismissal, Newsmax stated, "We understand this is just a technical matter and our law firm is refiling." Fox News has not yet responded to the dismissal. Previously, the network commented, "Newsmax cannot sue their way out of their own competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines simply because they can't attract viewers."

Newsmax, founded in 1998, launched its television channel in 2014 and became a publicly traded company in 2025. The network positions its programming as an alternative to Fox News.