TelevisaUnivision channels go dark on FuboTV amid contract disputes
Fubo said TelevisaUnivision pulled its networks from the streaming pay-TV provider on Monday, claiming the Spanish-language media giant “refused to offer what we believe are fair and competitive rates.”
According to Fubo, “thousands of Spanish-speaking consumers in the U.S. have lost access to local news and weather – providing vital information impacting their communities – as a result of TelevisaUnivision pulling their programming from Fubo. This unfortunate development is the result of TelevisaUnivision’s refusal to offer what we believe are fair and competitive rates.”
TelevisaUnivision reached out for comment and responded that Fubo refused to “pay the market value” of its programming.
“We worked in good faith to reach an agreement with Fubo to avoid this outcome, but they refuse to pay the market value that other distributors agreed to,” TelevisaUnivision said in a statement. “Fortunately, our channels are widely distributed across many platforms, giving our audiences plenty of options to continue enjoying our programming while we work on a solution.”
Fubo claimed that it has “made significant efforts and offered compromises to renew our long-standing content agreement for TelevisaUnivision and its affiliated channels. However, TelevisaUnivision presented us with a new contract with restructured terms that would increase prices for our subscribers by 25%. Additionally, TelevisaUnivision’s unfair bundling and linking practices require Fubo subscribers to purchase all of their channels, including those they do not watch.”
“TelevisaUnivision, the largest provider of Spanish-language content in the U.S., is attempting to use its dominant market power to force Fubo to pay higher prices, resulting in our Spanish-speaking subscribers paying significantly more to also receive important local news and weather. as sports and popular entertainment programs, in Spanish,” Fubo said. “TelevisaUnivision is further abusing our Spanish-speaking customers who love sports: to get all the sports content that TelevisaUnivision offers, Fubo subscribers must still pay separately for Vix+.”
Fubo said it “remains open to negotiating a new content agreement with TelevisaUnivision,” but that the terms “must be fair and equitable to our subscribers. That includes access to Spanish-language content in our Latino plan at a competitive cost.”
Earlier this month, TelevisaUnivision’s newly appointed CEO Daniel Alegre announced restructuring plans and layoffs at the company. The job cuts will reduce TelevisaUnivision’s workforce in the mid to high single digits.
Amid the standoff with TelevisaUnivision, Fubo noted that it continues to offer Spanish-language networks, including: beIN Sports Español, Canela, Centroamerica TV, Cine Latino, Cine Sony Television, ESPN Deportes, Estrella, Estrella News, Euronews Español, FILMEX, Fox Deportes , Fubo Latino, Gol TV Spanish, Nat Geo Mundo, Noticias Telemundo Ahora, Nuestra Tele, Tastemade and Espanol, Telefe, Telemundo Acción, Todo Cine, Tr3s, TyC Sports and WAPA.
