Univision, Google YouTube Say 'Si' To Partnership

Univision Interactive Media, the digital division of Univision Communications, on Monday said the company's video content, including programs from its Univision, TeleFutura, and Galavision operations, will be available through YouTube, making it the first time the company has made its long and short programming available on-line outside of its own Web properties.

The Univision partnership with Google's YouTube comes at a time when Hispanics make up the fastest-growing portion of the U.S. population.

USA Today, citing Pew Research Center studies, last year estimated that by 2050 Hispanics, already the largest minority in the U.S., will more than double their share of the total U.S. population to 29 percent compared to 14 percent in 2005.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau last year estimated that the U.S. Hispanic population is projected to nearly triple to 132.8 million by 2050, up from the 36.7 million in 2008, thanks to a combination of immigration and in-country birth.

The deal includes new programming as well as content from Univision's archives. In addition, YouTube will be used to broadcast unique footage from celebrity interviews and special events such as the Lo Nuestro Latin Music Awards, Univision said.

Univision plans to use YouTube's Content ID technology to track user engagement in a move to monetize Univision content that is uploaded by YouTube users.

The company also plans to offer unique sponsorship opportunities including display ads to increase advertising revenue related to its video presence on YouTube.

For YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, the deal represents one of the largest partnerships for full-length programming it has signed so far, said Chris Maxcy, head of content partnerships at YouTube, in a statement.