NEW YORK Mexico-based programming producer Grupo Televisa and U.S. Spanish-language network Univision today confirmed the settlement of a lawsuit concerning their long-term program licensing agreement. The litigation in Los Angeles federal court will be dismissed, the parties said.
The settlement does not include U.S. Internet rights, however, and litigation over those rights will proceed as planned in March, the parties said.
Details were scant, but the two sides said they have amended their programming license agreement, which runs through 2017, to include a simplified royalty calculation. That will result in increased payments to Televisa in exchange for incremental rights for Univision.
The companies issued the following statement: "We are pleased that today's settlement concludes this time-consuming litigation. This settlement serves the best business interests of both Televisa and Univision. It assures the public that Univision will continue to have access to consistently top quality Hispanic programming. It enables Televisa to continue utilizing Univision's extensive television networks as an important distribution channel for its content into the U.S. marketplace. For Univision, it assures that there will be no disruption in some of its most popular and valuable programming, as well as affording Univision an ongoing pipeline of future content developed by Televisa."
Under a separate agreement, Televisa will license to Univision the home games for the three Televisa-owned soccer teams -- America, Necaxa and San Luis -- for 2009.
