Texas AG Says YouTube Dropping Univision Is Political Retaliation
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is warning Alphabet and its YouTube subsidiary that his office may take action if YouTube TV, a virtual MVPD, drops Univision from its basic streaming package. In a letter Tuesday to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, Paxton said the possible cancellation, planned for the same day, is "obvious retaliation for Univision's .... viewpoint diversity" and its hosting of a town hall event during President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. "That was a laudable decision, and to the extent that YouTube TV is now using market power to punish it, such retaliation will not be tolerated," Paxton said. He also criticized YouTube for using Univision to solicit subscribers in its advertising, despite the looming cancellation.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
"I will not permit a California media giant to take advantage of Texans and, at the same time, destroy a network that has committed itself to the promotion of diverse viewpoints," Paxton said, warning that his office "stands ready to protect the interests of Texas and its more than 31 million consumers."
In a statement, YouTube said that while Univision has more than 160 million subscribers and billions of views on YouTube, the channel "only represents a tiny fraction of overall consumption" on YouTube TV. The streaming service said it remains "committed to working with TelevisaUnivision on reaching a deal for YouTube TV carriage that reflects their content's performance and pricing."
Separately, YouTube TV notified subscribers Tuesday that it had been unable to reach a deal with Washington regional sports network Monumental Sports, so Monumental programming was going dark on its lineup. YouTube TV directed viewers to other networks in its lineup that carry nationally broadcast NBA and NHL games, as well as the Monumental+ streaming service.