NEW YORK: Univision is going on YouTube with short- and long-form programming, the Spanish-language programmer said today. The deal represents Univision’s first online foray outside if its own Web sites, and one of the first major broadcast networks to provide long-form programming to YouTube.
“This partnership uniquely extends our reach to our audience and solidifies our position as the leading Spanish-language video provider for U.S. Hispanics with unparalleled programming in all respects,” said Kevin Conroy, president of Univision Interactive Media.
Chris Maxcy, head of YouTube content partnerships said the deal represented one of the Web site’s “most comprehensive partnerships for full-length programming signed to date. There is a huge demand to watch Spanish-language content on YouTube. With this new partnership, our community here in the U.S. can watch and enjoy both full-length and short-form programming from Univision’s three major networks on our platform.”
Univision, TeleFutura and Galavisión television programs will be featured and promoted on YouTube.com. Content will include newer shows as well as “an extensive archive of library programs.” Select videos from Univision.com will also be available through YouTube, such as footage from the upcoming “Premio Lo Nuestro a la Música Latina.”
Not all of the networks’ material will end up online. Telenovelas, the most popular fare, will not be posted, the Los Angeles Times reports. Univision’s wildly popular telenovelas are produced by Grupo Televisa, which streams them in Mexico. The two media companies have clashed in court over the rights to stream the shows in the United States. Telenovelas have been among the most viewed fare on YouTube.
Univision has exclusive rights to run Televisa programming in the United States through 2017, but the contract does not cover the Internet.
The deal between Univision and YouTube is non-exclusive, according to TechCrunch, so Univision can provide its content to other online video sites such as Hulu.com if it so chooses. Financial terms were not disclosed. Univision content is expected to begin showing up on YouTube early next year.
More on Univision:
June 24, 2009: “Univision Does Multi-year Carriage Deal”
Spanish-language media company Univision Communications Inc. reached a multi-year distribution agreement with Mediacom Communications, the eighth largest cable television company in the United States.
June 10, 2009: “Judge Hears Univision-Televisa Skirmish”
A federal judge this week heard an argument between Univision and Televisa over the right to stream content on the Web. Univision, based in Los Angeles, runs Televisa telenovelas during prime time and wants the court to enjoin the Mexican media giant from make them available on the Web in the United States.
