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Sinclair Ordered to Cover Costs After Court Flags Missing Messages in Ad Pricing Case

By  |  November 20, 2025

Sinclair Broadcast Group’s television station division has been directed to reimburse plaintiffs for investigative expenses tied to missing electronic records in a long-running antitrust lawsuit, according to a statement from the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

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    The case centers on allegations that Sinclair and other station owners colluded to raise the price of broadcast television advertising. The court found that Sinclair failed to retain key electronically stored information—including employee text messages—during the discovery process, per a statement in the ruling.

    US District Judge Virginia M. Kendall ruled on Tuesday that Sinclair must compensate the plaintiffs for the costs associated with uncovering the gaps in the company’s data preservation. While the court stopped short of concluding that Sinclair acted with intent to obstruct the proceedings, it determined that the company did not meet its preservation obligations.

    The judge noted that “Sinclair had a duty to preserve relevant ESI (in this case, text messages from Sinclair custodians’ work-issued cell …” The missing records became a focal point for plaintiffs who argued that the absent communications could have provided important insight into the alleged coordination among broadcasters.

    The broader lawsuit, filed several years ago, accuses multiple TV station groups of engaging in unlawful price-fixing schemes that inflated the cost of ad time for local and national marketers. Sinclair’s sanction marks a significant development in the case, underscoring the legal risks companies face when failing to maintain required electronic records during active litigation, according to a statement referenced in the court’s order.

    Source: RBR