Univision-Televisa trial postponed

Trial did not begin yesterday for Televisa’s attempt to void its long-term contract to provide programming exclusively in the US to Univision. Both sides jointly requested a delay at the last minute, so US District Judge Philip Gutierrez has rescheduled the trial to July 1st. The Los Angeles Times speculated that the delay means that settlement talks are underway.

Televisa sued Univision three years ago, claiming it had been shortchanged by 100 million bucks on royalty payments for some of its shows, which constitute a big chunk of Univision’s primetime schedule. The legal battle has subsequently expanded into a full-blown war, with Televisa CEO Emilio Azcarraga Jean seeking early termination of the programming agreement, which runs through 2017, so he can pursue other opportunities in the US market.

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