YouTube TV Sparks Outrage After Dropping Univision Spanish-Language Networks
YouTube TV sparked controversy by dropping Univision's Spanish-language networks due to a contract dispute. The move, which occurred just before a major federal government shutdown, drew criticism from Congressional Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
The blackout, which began on Tuesday night, affected Univision and Unimas programming, including local stations in major cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. Univision, a trusted voice for Hispanic Americans, especially during emergencies and elections, was covering the federal government shutdown at the time of the outage.
YouTube downplayed the impact, stating that Univision has a massive following on its main YouTube site. However, negotiations between Google (YouTube TV) and Univision in 2025 revealed a contentious proposal by YouTube to move Univision's channels to a more expensive Spanish-language add-on package. Univision argued that this would amount to an 18% rate increase for its Spanish-language viewers and dramatically cut its revenue. The proposal also attracted regulatory attention from the Texas Attorney General.
The dispute between YouTube TV and Univision highlights the ongoing debate over market power and pricing in the streaming industry. As Univision's lineup includes critical news coverage and popular content like soccer matches and MLB playoff games, the blackout has significant implications for Hispanic American viewers.
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