MediaAlpha, Inc.MAX
MediaAlpha, Inc. Commitments Disclosure
Commitments and contingencies
Litigation and other matters
The Company is subject to certain legal proceedings and claims that arise in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, the Company does not believe that the amount of liability, if any, as a result of these proceedings and claims will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
FTC Matter
On February 21, 2023, the Company received a civil investigative demand from the FTC regarding compliance with the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule, as they relate to the advertising, marketing, promotion, offering for sale, or sale of healthcare-related products, the collection, sale, transfer or provision to third parties of consumer data, telemarketing practices, and/or consumer privacy or data security. On October 30, 2024, the Company received a letter from the staff of the FTC (the “FTC Staff”) stating that the FTC Staff was prepared to recommend the filing of a complaint against the Company for violations of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule ("TSR") and the Government and Business Impersonation Rule (the “Impersonation Rule”).
The FTC Staff alleged that, in connection with the Company’s lead generation and telemarketing activities, the Company represented itself as affiliated with government entities, made misleading claims (in particular regarding health insurance products and the Company’s use of consumers’ personal information) and utilized deceptive advertising, in violation of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act. The FTC Staff further alleged that the Company violated the Impersonation Rule in representing itself to be affiliated with government entities and the TSR in connection with its telemarketing activities, and assisted and facilitated violations of the TSR by its Demand Partners in the under-65 health vertical.
On July 3, 2025, the Company reached an agreement with the FTC Staff on the terms of a Consent Order that the Staff was prepared to recommend to the Commissioners of the FTC to fully resolve the FTC’s claims. On August 6, 2025, the complaint and Consent Order were filed with the Court, and on October 16, 2025, the Court entered the Consent Order. Under the terms of the Consent Order, which includes no admission or denial of wrongdoing to the FTC’s allegations, the Company agreed to pay $45.0 million as monetary relief. The Company paid the initial payment of $33.5 million on October 21, 2025, within seven days of entry of the Consent Order by the court, and the remaining $11.5 million on January 12, 2026, within 90 days following entry of the Consent Order. Under the Consent Order, the Company has also agreed to, among other things, implement processes to review its advertising and marketing materials relating to under-65 health plans for compliance; include certain disclosures on its lead generation websites relating to under-65 health plans; implement processes to oversee the compliance of its under-65 health Demand Partners, Supply Partners and affiliates; comply with the TSR and not make any misrepresentations in connection with lead generation or the advertising, marketing, or promotion of any good or service; not collect, transfer or disclose consumer information without express informed consent; transfer certain inactive under-65 health website domains owned by the Company; and comply with certain data deletion, recordkeeping and cooperation provisions.
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company had recorded a reserve of $11.5 million and $7.0 million, respectively, within accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheets.
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company incurred expense related to recording a loss reserve of $38.0 million and $7.0 million, respectively, and legal fees in connection with the FTC Matter of $4.4 million and $3.9 million, respectively, which are included within general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statement of operations.
Other matters
On February 26, 2024, the Company received an assessment from the City of Los Angeles related to its examination of the Company's Business Tax filings for tax years 2018 through 2023. Such assessment was affirmed by the Appeals Review Officer at an initial hearing in July 2024, and by the Board of Review of the Office of Finance on July 23, 2025. The Company has remitted the assessed amount to avoid interest and penalties, and has initiated litigation challenging the assessment and the City's classification and methodology in applying the Business Tax to the Company. Payment of such amount does not constitute an admission that the Company is subject to such taxes, and if the Company prevails in the litigation the City would be required to repay such amounts or credit them against taxes payable in the future, potentially with interest. As of December 31, 2025, the Company has assessed its probable loss related to this matter and has accrued a reserve, which is not material.
As of December 31, 2025, and 2024, the Company did not have any other material contingency reserves established for litigation liabilities.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 23, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 24, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 22, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 27, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 28, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 15, 2021 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.