TelevisaUnivision Warns Viewers YouTube TV May Pull Channels

TelevisaUnivision has recently accused YouTube TV of engaging in “discriminatory” tactics during negotiations as the two media companies face a looming expiration date of their current carriage deal on September 30th.

In response to YouTube TV’s plan to remove broadcaster Univision from its basic tier and move the network to a Spanish-language add-on option, TelevisaUnivision launched a new ad campaign labeling this move as an “18% Hispanic Tax.” The Spanish-language media company argues that this decision by YouTube TV is discriminatory and an abuse of market power, as it would require Hispanic customers to pay an additional $15 per month to access Univision.

Univision, being the most-watched channel by U.S. Hispanics, is considered an essential part of American mainstream television. TelevisaUnivision emphasizes that Univision is of critical importance to millions of Hispanic Americans and should not be treated as a niche channel.

YouTube TV, on the other hand, refutes TelevisaUnivision’s claims of discrimination and insists that a fair deal must be reached between the two parties by the September 30th deadline. A YouTube spokesperson stated that if an agreement cannot be reached, TelevisaUnivision’s programming will no longer be available on YouTube TV.

This carriage dispute between TelevisaUnivision and YouTube TV follows a recent negotiation with Fox Corp over Fox News and local Fox stations, which was resolved on August 28th. YouTube TV reached an agreement with Fox to keep their content on the platform, ensuring that subscribers would not miss out on any programming.

As the deadline approaches for the TelevisaUnivision-YouTube TV carriage deal, both parties continue to negotiate in order to come to a fair resolution. The outcome of these negotiations will determine the future availability of Univision on YouTube TV and the impact it will have on Hispanic viewers in the United States.