Telemundo Enterprises chairman Luis Fernández is urging Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai to keep its sports, news and entertainment programming available on YouTube TV ahead of a Sept. 30 carriage renewal deadline, warning a blackout would leave millions of Hispanic viewers in the dark.
In an open letter, Fernández urged the tech giant to not “turn its back on Hispanic customers,” arguing that Telemundo is a “lifeline” for millions of Spanish-speaking Americans across the country and a “vital and trusted source” of local news.
“Despite all of this, Google and YouTube TV are abusing their market power by refusing to reach a fair agreement to try to make an ‘example’ out of us,” the letter states. “In the process, they may deny millions of viewers access to news, sports and entertainment on which they depend. Your subscribers and our audiences deserve better. We urge you to reconsider. Do the right thing. Keep Telemundo on YouTube TV.”
NBCUniversal began warning viewers of a potential programming blackout on YouTube TV on Thursday.
In addition to Telemundo, other programming that would be impacted by a blackout includes Sunday Night Football, the NBA, Big Ten Football, WWE, Premier League and new seasons of “The Voice” and “Saturday Night Live,” which is set to return on Oct. 4.
The media giant previously told TheWrap that YouTube TV has “refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace.”
YouTube TV subsequently fired back, arguing that NBCU is “asking us to pay more than what they charge consumers for the same content on Peacock, which would mean less flexibility and higher prices for our subscribers.”
The spokesperson added that the company remains committed to reaching a “fair deal for both sides” and that it would offer its roughly 10 million subscribers a $10 credit in the event of a programming blackout for an “extended period of time.”
When asked about Fernandez’s letter, a YouTube TV spokesperson told TheWrap that its carriage renewal decisions are “based on viewer consumption and pricing, and any suggestion to the contrary is false.”
Fernández’s letter comes as YouTube TV also faces a potential blackout of TelevisaUnivision programming on Sept. 30 and recently resolved a dispute with Fox just hours before an expiration of its contract.
