YouTube TV finds itself in yet another carriage row, this time with Spanish-language TV conglomerate TelevisaUnivision.
But unlike recent distribution disputes, this one is taking on a different tone. According to a report by Sara Fischer in Axios, YouTube TV is posturing to move TelevisaUnivision channels, which include Univision and TUDN, two major destinations for Spanish-language live sports, to a more expensive tier that includes additional Spanish-language programming. That package costs subscribers an additional $15 on top of the $83 per month YouTube TV base plan, which TelevisaUnivision is calling a “Hispanic Tax.”
The current deal is reportedly set to expire at the end of the month. If the two sides cannot come to an agreement before then, it is likely that TelevisaUnivision channels would go dark on YouTube TV.
Per Axios, TelevisaUnivision finds YouTube’s proposal “untenable” as it is out of line with the company’s other major national distribution deals which all include Univision in standard packages. The network recently reached a new carriage agreement with one of YouTube TV’s direct competitors, Hulu + Live TV, that accomplished just that.
“Google’s proposal to remove Univision from its core offering on YouTube TV and charge its customers 18% more to access the leader in Spanish-language broadcasting is discriminatory and an abuse of its market power,” a TelevisaUnivision spokesperson told Axios. “Alongside the major English-language networks, Univision is an essential part of the American mainstream. Univision is of critical importance to millions of Hispanic Americans, something that has been recognized by every single major content distributor – except Google. Univision is not niche — it moves America.”
From a live sports perspective, TelevisaUnivision airs the most-watched package of soccer games in the United States. Per Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, the company’s package of Liga MX games draws audiences well larger than the English-language Premier League telecasts on NBC and USA. TUDN, the sports-focused arm of TelevisaUnivision, owns a full suite of live sports rights geared towards Hispanic American fans.
Going by recent history, it seems YouTube TV might be keen on taking a more aggressive approach to carriage negotiations going forward. The distributor has deadlines looming with NBC and Disney next month that could send shockwaves through sports media if it goes the distance.
How this ongoing dispute resolves could give us an idea of just how much hardball YouTube TV is willing to play. Univision is a major player in American media, and holding the line on bumping the channel to a premium tier would indicate YouTube TV isn’t messing around.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.