Televisaunivision denounced YouTube TV for “discriminatory” tactics in negotiations amid a dispute with two media companies over fasting approval for the current carriage deal on September 30th.
In a new ad campaign launched on Tuesday, Spanish media company Televisaunivision has labelled YouTube TV’s plans to pull broadcaster Univision from the Pay-TV provider’s basic tier and shift its network to a Spanish add-on option that will launch “18% Hispanic Tax” from September 30th.
See the ads for the following issues:
“Google’s proposal to remove Univision from its core product on YouTube TV and charge customers 18% to access Spanish broadcasting leaders is discriminatory and an abuse of market power,” Televisaunivision said in a statement Tuesday. “Along with the mainstream English network, Univision is an important part of America’s mainstream. Univision is extremely important to millions of Hispanic Americans.
Univision is currently the most viewed channel by Hispanics in the US. The station is offered as part of a basic package for pay TV distributors, including DIRECTV and Hulu + Live TV.
YouTube TV refutes Televisaunivision’s claims about its “discriminatory” transport decisions, saying instead that “fair deals” must be reached between the two parties by September 30th, or that “programming will no longer be available on YouTube TV.”
“Televisaunivision’s request has not been supported by its performance on YouTube TV over the past four years,” a YouTube spokesperson said Tuesday. “If fair deals cannot be reached by September 30th, their programming will no longer be available on YouTube TV. Our carriage update decision is based on audience consumption and pricing, and the opposite suggestion is wrong.”
Televisaunivision-youtube TV Carriage Dispute News was first reported by Axios.
YouTube TV’s current carriage battle with Univision owners is around the front and back of Fox Corp and another Fox Corp over Fox News, local Fox Stations and other channels. The agreement was ultimately stated on August 28 by a YouTube spokesman: “We are happy to share our content on Fox and YouTube TV, retain the value of our subscriber services and provide flexibility for the future. Weekend.”
