Retrans Renewal Leaves ‘Unchanged’ Nexstar’s Argument That DirecTV Lacks Standing

DirecTV’s Sept. 16 signing of a retransmission renewal with Nexstar Media covering 176 of Nexstar’s local stations and NewsNation leaves “unchanged” Nexstar’s arguments that DirecTV lacks standing to pursue its antitrust claims against Nexstar and sidecar companies Mission Broadcasting and White Knight Broadcasting (see 2306270051), Nexstar said. That's because DirecTV doesn’t allege it paid supracompetitive prices associated with those retrans agreements, Nexstar’s counsel wrote U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty for Southern New York in a letter Tuesday (docket 1:23-cv-02221). “Events occurring after the filing of the complaint cannot operate to create standing where none previously existed,” said Nexstar. It’s of “no legal moment” that DirecTV entered into a retrans renewal with Nexstar after filing its complaint, it said. DirecTV still lacks standing based on the facts and circumstances that existed as of March 15, it said.