Comcast, Univision Strike Comprehensive Retrans Agreement
Deal With Spanish-Language Broadcaster Impacts 20 Million Subscribers
By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 1/6/2009 8:00:00 AM
In its first announced retransmission-consent agreement, Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications has struck a deal for carriage of its owned-and-operated TV stations and its affiliate stations with Comcast, affecting 20 million subscribers, officials said Tuesday
As well as Univision stations, the multiyear agreement covers affiliated Univision stations owned and operated by Entravision Communications Corp., Fisher Communications and Equity Media Holdings Corp., as well as distribution of the cable network Galavisión and, outside of station markets, the network feeds for Univision and TeleFutura.
Terms of the agreement, which is effective immediately, were not disclosed. Spokeswomen for Univision and Comcast declined to comment on whether the nation’s largest cable operator was paying cash to carry the Univision stations.
Last year, Univision disclosed that for the first time it would seek retransmission consent, rather than must-carry, for its stations. The broadcaster initially suggested said it would seek license fees of $1 per subscriber for its stations.
Univision Communications’ operations include Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 97% of U.S. Hispanic households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network, which was launched in 2002 and now reaches 85% of U.S. Hispanic households; Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network; and Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 64 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico.
Univision declined to comment, but in terms of Univision-owned stations, the deal reportedly includes 14 Univision and 17 TeleFutura stations. There wasn’t information available on how many Entravision, Fisher and Equity Media Univision affiliates are included in the pact.
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