Univision may be dropped from YouTube TV base plan
Univision may be dropped from YouTube TV base plan
Channel owner TelevisaUnivision is warning customers that YouTube TV wants to move the network out of the package.
The YouTube TV base package comes in at a price of $83 per month, and the streamer may be maneuvering to keep it that way. Sarah Fischer of Axios was first to report that TelevisaUnivision is in the process of launching a new ad campaign for subscribers to warn them that YouTube TV may be removing the Univision channel from its base channel package, which would restrict access to Spanish-language content in the bundle.
Key Details:
- Not holding back: TelevisaUnivision used forceful language in its ads to customers about the dispute with YouTube TV.
- Checking the couch cushions: Recent carriage deals with Fox and OAN may have YouTube TV strapped for cash.
- Still multiple options: Univision is available in a Spanish-language channel package on YouTube TV.
TelevisaUnivision and YouTube TV are likely locked in negotiations over a new carriage agreement, which has led to the appeals to subscribers on the programmer’s part. The company — which is one of the largest providers of Spanish-language programming in the United States — isn’t hiding its feelings in the ad campaign, which warns viewers that YouTube TV is planning to enact a “Hispanic Tax,” and that its parent company Google, is “evil” as a result. “Don’t be evil” is historically an unofficial motto of Google, and the ad is a clear allusion to that history.
“Hispanics paying more, denied access to the content they need, losing their voice, and worse, singled out as a minority. That’s just wrong,” the ad reads, according to Axios. “Do the right thing, Google.”
The protest from TelevisaUnivision has been raised at plans that YouTube TV harbors to move the Univision channel out of the YouTube TV base plan. It would live on in the Spanish Plus add-on package, which costs $15 per month and cannot be purchased without a YouTube TV base package. Univision is also found in the YouTube TV Spanish plan, which costs $35 per month and does not require a base package subscription.
But the Spanish plan will not include access to popular channels like ESPN and others that appear primarily in English, and the removal of Univision will undoubtedly curtail access to Spanish-language content in the standard YouTube TV plan. Univision is in the base package of every other major multi-channel video-programming distributor (MVPD), and removing it from YouTube TV would put the channel out of step on that service, TelevisaUnivision argued.
The report that YouTube TV is attempting to shift Univision out of its base plan could be a signal that the company is looking for savings after recent carriage deals. The company made a new pact with OAN to put the conservative news network in its base plan, and also avoided a blackout of Fox networks with an eleventh-hour deal in late August. Just a few days ago, YouTube TV also announced Great American Family was being added to the base plan.
An attempt to move Univision out of the base package could be in an effort to avoid raising costs for customers because of those additions, but YouTube TV might decide to do that either way; new programming deals are expensive, and YouTube TV has been making a lot of moves in that regard lately. This latest public break with a programmer may lead to trouble down the road for YouTube TV, especially with the ad campaign now underway by TelevisaUnivision.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.