Dish Network and Univision Communications said they have reached a long-term carriage deal, ending what had been a nine-month blackout of the Spanish-language network for the satellite company’s 13 million customers.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Univision said its channels will be restored to the satellite TV service’s customers immediately. The drop had begun to look permanent on Dish's part, with Dish chairman Charles Ergen saying during a November earnings call that Dish might actually face a backlash from subscribers if it restored the Univision networks at a time when Dish customers were saying "they’re not seeing the value in linear TV today.”
“We want to thank our Dish customers for their patience as we worked to reach an agreement that is fair to all parties, especially our customers,” said Dish CEO Erik Carlson, in a press release. “For more than 20 years, Dish has led our industry in serving the U.S. Hispanic community, and today’s announcement is reflective of our commitment to delivering quality content at the right value.”
Starting today, the following channels are once again available to Dish and DishLATINO customers, depending upon their programming package: Univision, UniMás, Univision Deportes Network, Galavisión, Tlnovelas and FOROtv. A full list of packages is available at both dishlatino.com and dish.com.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Dish that recognizes the value of our top-rated networks and stations,” said Univision CEO Vince Sadusky in a press release. “We look forward to once again providing Dishand DishLATINO customers with the news, sports, and entertainment content they love. Thank you to our loyal audience for your unwavering support.”
Separately, the companies agreed to settle all pending litigation between the two companies.
