Univision to make shows available on YouTube

LOS ANGELES - Univision, the biggest Hispanic broadcaster in the U.S., said Monday its shows will be coming to YouTube in the new year.

Videos to be made available include the talk show "El Show de Cristina," based in Miami, the variety show "Don Francisco Presenta," and the murder thriller series, "Mujeres Asesinas."

But they won't include popular telenovelas from its Mexican production partner Grupo Televisa SA because of a legal dispute preventing either from putting Televisa content on the Internet in the U.S.

Univision has the exclusive right to broadcast Televisa-made shows in the U.S. through 2017.

Kevin Conroy, president of Univision Interactive Media Inc., said it is up to the two companies to agree on terms for how to stream shows online in the U.S.

"The shows that I've mentioned ... represent very significant audience and rating points," he told reporters on a conference call. "We'll start with Univision-produced content first and then we'll go from there."

YouTube, the online video site of Google Inc., will share advertising revenue with Univision Communications Inc. after content begins appearing early in the first quarter of next year.

YouTube says its U.S. Hispanic audience is one of its fastest growing demographics, with 6.5 million adult viewers per month, up 80 percent from a year ago.

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