Netflix, Hulu Win Video-Streaming Fee Case at Ohio Supreme Court

Netflix Inc. and Hulu LLC aren’t subject to local franchise fees paid by cable TV and internet service companies in Ohio, the state high court ruled.

The streaming services aren’t video-service providers under the state’s Fair Competition in Cable Operations Act, and the act doesn’t give municipalities the authority to sue for violations, Justice Michael P. Donnelly wrote for the Ohio Supreme Court in an opinion issued Wednesday.

The ruling is another win for the streaming giants, which have beat back similar class actions in at least nine states, most recently Tennessee.

Here, the ...