Willow TV VPPA Settlement: Claims Closed, Hearing Oct 22, 2026
At a glance
- Status
- Pending final approval
- Defendant
- Times Internet (UK) Ltd. (Willow TV)
- Settlement fund
- $850,000
- Claim deadline
- July 21, 2026
- No-proof cash option
- Yes — pro-rata share of the Net Settlement Fund (claim form signed under penalty of perjury; no receipt/proof required)
- Estimated payout
- pro-rata share of the Net Settlement Fund (claim form signed under penalty of perjury; no receipt/proof required)
- Official site
- willowtvvppasettlement.com
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- Case number
- 4:23-cv-03594-HSG
Last verified September 9, 2026
Key dates
| Milestone | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Claim deadline | July 21, 2026(passed) | Last day to file for a payment |
| Opt-out (exclusion) deadline | July 21, 2026(passed) | Last day to leave the settlement and keep the right to sue |
| Objection deadline | July 21, 2026(passed) | Last day to object to the terms |
| Final approval hearing | October 22, 2026 | When the judge decides whether to approve the settlement |
| Expected payout | Not yet scheduled | Payments are not sent until after final approval and any appeals |
Where to file
The only place to file is the official settlement website:
Verify on the official sitewillowtvvppasettlement.com
Filing is free. No legitimate settlement charges a fee to file a claim.
You cannot file on RecordingLaw.com. We are an independent publisher, not the settlement administrator, and we are not affiliated with any court, agency, or defendant.
If you subscribed to Willow TV and watched cricket or other pre-recorded video there between mid-2021 and late 2023, you may be part of a class-action settlement over a video-privacy claim, not a data breach. The claim deadline was July 21, 2026, and it has passed. There is no second window to ask for money from this fund.
What the Lawsuit Against Willow TV Actually Claims
The case is Kishore v. Times Internet (UK) Ltd., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, case number 4:23-cv-03594-HSG. Times Internet (UK) Ltd. operates Willow TV, a subscription streaming service built around cricket and other sports programming.
This is not a data breach. Nobody is alleging that hackers stole Willow TV subscriber data. Instead, the lawsuit invokes the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a federal law that restricts video service providers from disclosing information tying a specific person to the video content they watched, without that person's consent.
The complaint alleges Willow TV shared or made accessible subscribers' video-viewing information with third parties without the consent the VPPA requires. Times Internet denies the allegations and denies any wrongdoing. The parties reached a settlement before the case went to trial, so there has been no court ruling on whether the claims were true.
Where the Case Stands Right Now
As of September 9, 2026, the settlement has preliminary court approval and the claims-filing window has closed. The final approval hearing, where a judge decides whether to sign off on the deal permanently, has been reset to October 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time, according to a notice posted on the official settlement site.
That gap is normal. Claims periods in class-action settlements typically close well before the final hearing, so the court has firm numbers on how many people actually filed before deciding whether the deal is fair. It also meant one thing for class members specifically: nobody had to wait for final approval to file. The claims deadline of July 21, 2026 came first, and it was the one that decided whether a class member gets paid at all.
Who Is Covered by the Settlement Class
The class is defined narrowly. It covers people who subscribed to Willow TV and watched pre-recorded videos on Willow.tv between July 20, 2021 and September 22, 2023. The settlement estimates roughly 75,830 people fit that description.
If you only watched live streams, or you used the service outside that window, you may fall outside the class as defined. The official claim form is the authoritative place to check your specific situation; RecordingLaw.com cannot look up individual eligibility.
How Much You Could Actually Get
There is no fixed dollar figure attached to this settlement. The $850,000 fund is divided pro rata, meaning each valid claim receives a share calculated after the number of people who actually filed is known. That number moves in both directions: fewer claimants means a bigger slice for each, more claimants means a smaller one.
Nobody can tell you your exact payout before the claims window closes and the math is run. Treat the fund total as a ceiling on what is possible across the whole class, not a promise of what any one person receives. Most class members in pro-rata settlements like this end up with a modest amount, not a windfall.
What You Need to File a Claim
The claim form does not require receipts, screenshots, or proof of a subscription. You sign it under penalty of perjury attesting that you meet the class definition described above, which is the mechanism this settlement uses instead of documentation.
That makes filing simple, but it also means you should only file if you genuinely fit the class description. Signing a false claim under penalty of perjury carries its own legal risk, separate from whatever the settlement pays out.
How to File, and What Happens If You Do Nothing
Filing was handled entirely through the official case website, which is also where the administrator posts hearing and payment updates. RecordingLaw.com is an independent publisher, not the court, not the settlement administrator, and not a party to the case, and cannot take or process claims on your behalf.
If you did not file by July 21, 2026, you will not receive a payment from this fund. You are still bound by the settlement's release of claims against Times Internet unless you separately excluded yourself by the same date, meaning you gave up the right to sue over this same conduct later.
Opting Out vs. Objecting: They Are Not the Same Thing
A class member who wanted no part of this settlement, and wanted to preserve the right to sue Times Internet separately over the same conduct, had to exclude themselves, also called opting out, by July 21, 2026. That date has passed. Excluding yourself is different from objecting, where you stay in the class, remain eligible for a payment, but tell the judge in writing why you think the deal is unfair.
You cannot do both. Opting out means you get nothing from this fund and give up your say in whether the court approves it. Objecting means you stay in and accept whatever the court ultimately decides, for better or worse.
If You Just Found Out About This Case
Because the class period ended in September 2023 and the case is only settling now, some eligible subscribers may not remember getting a notice, or may be learning about this settlement for the first time today. The deadline treated everyone the same regardless of when they first heard about it. It was July 21, 2026, and it has passed, so no one can be paid from this fund now, no matter when they learned it existed.
For other open settlements in this area, see our data breach and privacy settlement tracker. For background on the broader legal framework, see our overview of U.S. data privacy law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Willow TV VPPA Settlement?
It is a proposed class-action settlement in Kishore v. Times Internet (UK) Ltd., No. 4:23-cv-03594-HSG, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It resolves claims that Times Internet, which operates the Willow TV streaming service, shared subscribers' video-viewing information with third parties without the consent required under the Video Privacy Protection Act. Times Internet denies wrongdoing, and settling the case is not a finding of liability.
Is this a data breach settlement?
No. Nobody is alleging Willow TV was hacked or that data was stolen. The claim is about the VPPA, a federal privacy law that limits how a video provider may disclose what a subscriber watched and who it may share that information with.
Who is included in the settlement class?
The class covers people who subscribed to Willow TV and watched pre-recorded videos on Willow.tv between July 20, 2021 and September 22, 2023, an estimated 75,830 people. If you did not use the service during that window, you likely fall outside the class as defined.
How much is the Willow TV VPPA settlement worth?
The total fund is $850,000, but individual payouts are not fixed. Each valid claim gets a pro-rata share of the fund, so the per-person amount depends on how many people file before the deadline and is not known in advance.
Do I need a receipt or proof to file a claim?
No. The claim form does not require documentation. You sign it under penalty of perjury confirming you meet the class definition, which substitutes for proof of purchase or a subscription record.
What is the deadline to file a claim?
The deadline to file a claim, exclude yourself from the class, or object to the settlement was July 21, 2026, all on the same date, and it has passed. There is no later window.
What is the difference between opting out and objecting?
Opting out (excluding yourself) means you leave the class, keep your right to sue Times Internet on your own over the same claims, and get nothing from this settlement fund. Objecting means you stay in the class, remain eligible for a payment, but tell the court in writing that you think part of the deal is unfair. You cannot do both.
When will payments actually go out?
No payment date has been set. The final approval hearing, where the court decides whether to approve the settlement permanently, was reset to October 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time, and payments generally follow final approval. As of September 9, 2026, there is no confirmed payout date.
What happens if I miss the July 21, 2026 deadline?
That date has passed, so you will not receive a payment from this fund. Unless you separately excluded yourself by the same date, you remain bound by the settlement's release of claims against Times Internet, meaning you gave up the ability to sue over this same conduct later even though you were not paid.
How to tell a settlement notice is real
Check the case name, case number, and court against the official settlement site. Go to that site directly instead of clicking a link in an email or text. Nobody legitimate will call, text, or email out of the blue asking for your Social Security number, bank account, or card details, and nobody will charge you to file. Report anyone who does at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Informational only. Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not affiliated with any settlement.
RecordingLaw.com is an independent legal-information publisher. We are not a law firm, not a settlement administrator, and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any court, government agency, defendant, or claims administrator described on this page. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
We do not process claims and we never collect your claim information. You cannot file a claim on RecordingLaw.com. To file, opt out, object, or check your status, use only the official settlement administrator identified above. We link to it for your convenience.
Filing a legitimate claim is free. No legitimate settlement or administrator will charge you a fee to file, or ask for your Social Security number, bank, or card details by unsolicited call, text, or email. If someone does, it is likely a scam. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Deadlines, amounts, and approval status change and are set by the court. We verify against the official administrator and court records, but confirm the current details on the official site before acting. Nothing here guarantees eligibility, a payment, or any amount. Settlement payments may be taxable. See IRS Publication 4345. and consult a tax professional. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state. Affiliate disclosure.
Updates
Updated settlement status and dates: Title advertised 'Claim Deadline July 21, 2026' as if pending now now 'Claims Closed, Hearing Oct 22, 2026'
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
United States Code Title 18
§ 2710Wrongful disclosure of video tape rental or sale recordsIn force
For purposes of this section— the term “consumer” means any renter, purchaser, or subscriber of goods or services from a video tape service provider; the term “ordinary course of business” means only debt collection activities, order fulfillment, request processing, and the transfer of ownership; the term “personally identifiable information” includes information which identifies a person as having requested or obtained specific video materials or services from a video tape service provider; and the term “video tape service provider” means any person, engaged in the business, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, of rental, sale, or delivery of prerecorded video cassette tapes or similar audio visual materials, or any person or other entity to whom a disclosure is made under subparagraph (D) or (E) of subsection (b)(2), but only with respect to the information contained in the disclosure. A video tape service provider who knowingly discloses, to any person, personally identifiable information concerning any consumer of such provider shall be liable to the aggrieved person for the relief provided in subsection (d).
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 216 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Ginger McCall v. Facebook, Inc. (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2012, 696 F.3d 811)“…heir privacy. And now they are deprived of a remedy. . 18 U.S.C. § 2710 (b)(1), (c)(1) — (2) ("A video tape ser…”
- In Re Nickelodeon Consumer Privacy Litigation (Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 2016, 827 F.3d 262)“…et seq. 34 Cal. Penal Code § 630, et seq. 35 18 U.S.C. § 2710. 36 N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:38A–3. Th…”
- Kevin Sterk v. Redbox Automated Retail, LLC (Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 2014, 770 F.3d 618)“…g allege violates the Video Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2710. The district court granted summary judg…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Search our full record of US law — 2.1 million sections, every state + federal →
Sources and References
- Kishore et al. v. Times Internet (UK) Ltd. (Willow TV), Case No. 4:23-cv-03594-HSG, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, official court filing(govinfo.gov).gov
- 18 U.S.C. Section 2710, Video Privacy Protection Act, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives(uscode.house.gov).gov
- Kishore v. Times Internet (UK) Ltd. Willow TV VPPA Settlement, official settlement website(willowtvvppasettlement.com)
- Willow TV VPPA Settlement, Frequently Asked Questions, official settlement website(willowtvvppasettlement.com)
- Willow TV VPPA Settlement, Important Dates, official settlement website(willowtvvppasettlement.com)