Fubo subscribers have now lost access to Spanish-language programming provided by TelevisaUnivision. As is nearly always the case, the carriage dispute is a result of the two companies unable to agree new financial terms.
Fubo says TelevisaUnivision refused to offer “fair and competitive rates” during negotiations. Instead, Fubo argues TelevisaUnivision’s proposals would have resulted in subscribers paying 25% more for the same programming.
Fubo also pointed to TelevisaUnivision’s approach to channel-bundling as another reason for the dispute. Specifically, requiring customers to pay for all of the channels without any option to only pay for the ones they watch.
While Fubo says it is still open to negotiating a new contract with TelevisaUnivision, it remains unclear how likely or quickly the dispute could be resolved, considering the suggested differences between the two sides.
“Fubo remains open to negotiating a new content agreement with TelevisaUnivision – but it must be fair and equitable for our subscribers. That includes accessing Spanish-language content in our Latino plan at a cost that is competitive,” Fubo said in a statement.
For those interesting in Spanish-language content, Fubo highlights that it is still home to plenty of channels and programming, including beIN Sports Español, Canela, Centroamerica TV, Cine Latino, Cine Sony Television, ESPN Deportes, Estrella, Estrella News, Euronews Espanol, FILMEX, FOX Deportes, Fubo Latino, Gol TV Spanish, Nat Geo Mundo, Noticias Telemundo Ahora, Nuestra Tele, Tastemade en Espanol, Telefe, Telemundo Acción, Todo Cine, Tr3s, TyC Sports and WAPA.
In spite of the selection of Spanish-language networks still available, the removal of TelevisaUnivision channels is still a major loss. Last week, TelevisaUnivision issued a press release confirming it expects Univision to finish 2024 as “the No. 1 Spanish-language network” and one of the top 5 most-watched broadcast networks (regardless of language) in primetime.
In a statement to Streaming Better, TelevisaUnivision argued Fubo wasn’t willing to pay the market value for the channels and confirmed it is also committed to finding a solution.
“TelevisaUnivision’s content is vital to Spanish-speaking audiences, providing trusted news, sports and entertainment programming that deeply resonates with our community. We have been working in good faith to reach an agreement with Fubo to avoid this outcome, but they refuse to pay the market value that other distributors have agreed to. Fortunately, our channels are broadly distributed across many platforms, ensuring our audience has plenty of options to continue enjoying our programming while we work towards a resolution.”
