Donald Trump appeared at a Noticias Univision presidential town hall in Miami on October 16, 2024.
Framing Univision as a key tool for Republican outreach, former President Donald Trump is openly urging Google to reinstate the Spanish-language network on YouTube TV.
The streaming service removed Univision channels nearly a week ago after the two sides failed to reach a new carriage agreement.
Trump emphasized the political stakes in a post on Truth Social Saturday night, writing that the blackout “is VERY BAD for Republicans in the upcoming Midterms.” He added, appealing directly to Google, “for the sake of FAIRNESS, please let Univision back!”
This marks another instance of Trump publicly pressuring a major media platform, this time targeting YouTube, which reaches billions of users every month.
In response, YouTube told CNN on Sunday that it remains willing to negotiate a deal based on Univision’s performance on the service but added that “until then, their content remains unavailable on YouTube TV.”
While carriage negotiations are typically legal and contractual, Univision has sought to frame the disagreement as a political issue, rallying lawmakers and now drawing attention from Trump himself.
TelevisaUnivision CEO Daniel Alegre acknowledged Trump’s post on social media, thanking the former president for recognizing “the importance of Hispanics and the impact of Univision.” Alegre emphasized the company’s commitment to restoring the network on YouTube TV, noting, “We take pride in representing the voice of Hispanic America.”
YouTube TV, a growing alternative to traditional cable and satellite packages, offers a curated bundle of channels for a monthly subscription. The platform has suggested that Univision’s demands were disproportionate to its audience on YouTube TV, noting that while TelevisaUnivision reaches over 160 million subscribers and garners billions of views across YouTube, it represents only a small portion of content consumed on YouTube TV.
Trump, however, sees Univision as a strategic campaign ally. “They were so good to me with their highest-rated political special ever, and I set a Republican record in Hispanic voting,” he wrote, underscoring the network’s perceived influence on his voter base.
Univision has also cultivated a more cooperative stance toward Trump in recent years, reflecting a centrist corporate approach.
The timing of Trump’s latest push comes shortly after YouTube reached a $22 million settlement with the former president. The payment to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall stemmed from a lawsuit Trump filed following his social media suspension after the January 6, 2021, Capitol events. According to court filings, the funds are designated to support preservation efforts for the National Mall and the White House State Ballroom.