• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 29, 2025

Products shipped into the U.S. are being tariffed -- with consumers effectively being taxed.

Does that include TV shows -- for example, TV programs produced in Mexico? If you were only worried about avocados, cars, some automotive parts, electronics, and medical instruments, consider the broader entertainment view for a moment.

TelevisaUnivision CEO Daniel Alegre in a recent earnings phone call talked about how that TV shows are not “physical goods” and that said tariffs “probably” will not affect things. Still, we have seen in tariff-land things can change -- almost daily.

Good news for TelevisaUnivision recently: The company's ViX direct-to-consumer (D2C) business keeps growing -- global monthly active users (MAUs), double-digit percentage higher subscribers, and subscription pricing.

The bad? Total company-wide advertising revenue in its most recent quarter slipped 13% versus the same period a year ago. That period includes the NFL's big “Super Bowl” game -- which can affect all TV networks small and large.

Entertainment and advertising issues are ongoing -- and more predictable. Tariff talk by itself seems to have ignited an economy heading downward, with concerns over a probable recession. Advertising growth typically can be materially affected by such a potential decline.

That means specific TV networks can also be hard-pressed -- including Spanish-language network groups -- as they continue to believe major brand advertisers are not spending as much as they should have on their linear and streaming platforms.

And if that’s not all, there are other issues with third-party virtual pay TV providers.

At the end of last year, FuboTV complained of a sharp 25% hike in the pricing to carry the TelevisaUnivision networks on its service. In response, TelevisaUnivision responded that Fubo was refusing to “pay the market value” of its programming.

Spanish-language TV has for a long time undercounted Hispanic audiences (among traditional TV measurement companies like Nielsen). This adds to new disagreements over pricing and bundling practices when it comes to getting distributed on new streaming platforms.

Now, much of this is specific TV-centric current marketplace-related. But there are likely to be larger and more ominous clouds in the distance.

Going forward for the next 18 months or so -- some specified TV network groups will need to weather some storms.

Importing TV shows could still be one of those.