One week ago, Google’s plans to drop the Univision broadcast television network from its main bundle on YouTube TV saw TelevisaUnivision’s CEO attack the “Big Tech” giant for discrimination against Hispanics. As the virtual MVPD saw it, Daniel Alegre was distorting what amounted to a retransmission consent dispute.
Now, that fight has escalated, as YouTube TV has moved forward with dropping one of the most-viewed Spanish-language television networks altogether.
As a result, the Google-operated virtual MVPD has become the lone major distributor to not offer the broadcast TV network on any bundle. Such a move is unprecedented. And, YouTube TV’s move is a direct rebuke to Alegre, who penned an open letter imploring, “Do the right thing Google. Don’t discriminate against Hispanics.”
That was under the guise of a bump of Univision to a premium tier on YouTube TV, which is rapidly growing thanks to its relationship with the National Football League. Alegre pointed specifically to how Spanish-language consumers would be required to pay an 18% “Hispanic tax” for access to programming such as Despierta America and Univision-branded news content, in addition to its soccer coverage, tentpole events and telenovelas.
At 7pm Pacific on Tuesday, with Univision, UniMás, TUDN and Galavisión, and other smaller cable networks, no longer available to YouTube TV consumers, TelevisaUnivision responded. “Google’s YouTube TV has refused to ‘Do the Right Thing’ and dropped Univision from its platform — stripping millions of Hispanic viewers of the Spanish-language news, sports, and entertainment they rely on every day,” the company said in a statement.
As TelevisaUnivision sees it, Google’s actions “are especially tone-deaf and egregious on the eve of a potential government shutdown, disregarding the appeals of government officials and Hispanic organizations who urged them to keep Univision on the main bundle.” TelevisaUnivision also assailed YouTube TV for bumping Univision to a premium tier during Hispanic Heritage Month — “an act that is deeply insensitive and offensive,” the media company claims.
Interestingly, NBCUniversal was able to reach a new carriage agreement with YouTube TV. As such, all Telemundo-themed programming options are available to subscribers; the Telemundo network was also rumored to be part of a plan to place all Spanish-language channels in a higher-tiered bundle, shifting them from the basic tier.
While YouTube TV officially explained that carriage renewal decisions are based on viewer consumption and pricing, it also disputed that its actions were discriminatory and were purely based on business. Speaking to online publication “Rolling Out,” YouTube TV claims TelevisaUnivision’s channels “represent only a tiny fraction” of overall consumption on YouTube TV’s paid subscription service.
That didn’t stop the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) from emerging as an ally with ALLvanza, Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership, Hispanic Federation, and other Latino organizations in urging Google and YouTube TV to preserve its customers’ access to TelevisaUnivision. MMTC President/CEO Robert Branson considers that company’s networks “vital cultural lifelines that provide the Latino community with trusted and essential news, emergency information, and culturally meaningful content in Spanish daily. Without access to these media channels, millions of Latino Americans would be harmed. At stake is ensuring that Latino Americans have access to trusted news sources that they can understand and relate to.”
