Mexican media giant Televisa has launched a range of new online video services for users in Latin America, and also plans to offer phone services early next year. On Esemas.com, subscribers can watch live shows from soap operas to soccer matches, or download movies or sitcoms from up to 14 days ago. The live TV service will be $12 monthly or $86 annually, per show archive download would be about $1.
Televisa also launched on Wednesday a new VOD service that will include some of its regular programming plus exclusive shows, available to clients of Cablevision (the cable arm in Mexico), which only operates in the profitable Mexico City area.
But one big hitch: the service is not available in U.S,. despite a huge Hispanic market here. Its legal tiff with U.S. partner Univision (now owned by PE firms) is preventing it from offering these shows here. Earlier in the year it said that it could start selling in the U.S. by late December, but with a court ruling still pending, the company is becoming more cautious.
“We will do it as soon as we can,” said Juan Saldivar, CEO of Televisa’s esmas.com, at a presentation of the company’s new media strategy. Company will start selling music online in the States come January, he said.
Televisa filed suit in July before Los Angeles Superior Court to allow it to distribute online content to U.S. audiences without having to split the revenue with estranged partner Univision.
Related:
—Mexico’s Televisa Sues Univision About Online Rights; Major U.S. Expansion Planned
—Televisa Will have US Online Rights; Univision’s Contends It
—Upfronts: Univision’s Online Rights Dispute With Televisa Hurts Prospects