While it remains off the air on Dish Network systems, Univision secured an important carriage beachhead, renewing its distribution deal with Altice USA.
Under the deal, Altice will continue to carry Univision, UniMás and several other networks. Altice will also make Fusion TV available to its customers and expand distribution of El Rey Network (which was founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez) to its 4.9 million subscribers in 21 states.
The Univision networks will be available in the markets Altice serves under its Optimum and Suddenlink brands, which are heavily concentrated in the New York City area and the Midwest. The deal also includes the local Univision and UniMás stations in Altice markets.
Univision and Altice will also collaborate on the production of Spanish-language content for Altices News 12.
Altice will include the Univision portfolio in its comprehensive Altice One platform, which unites video and Internet sources.
While the Altice outcome averted a blackout, the Dish-Univision fight is in its third month. Last month, Warren Schlichting, president of Dishs skinny-bundle service Sling TV, made some comments that dont augur a rosy near-term outcome. In an appearance on Cheddar, Schlichting called Univision “Exhibit A” of “programmers that are losing ratings but charging more.” The companys networks are some of the “least watched” on Sling, he added. “Our customers dont want to pay for networks they dont watch.”
Univision, for its part, has been spreading the word that North Carolina Attorney General Joshua Stein has reached out to Dish, “questioning the company about its business practices related to consumers in the state.” Stein “pressed Dish on several issues related to its blackout of Univision networks and stations,” according to the programmer.
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