Univision offers own stand-alone Internet streaming service

Univision Communications has jumped into the Internet streaming service market by offering its own $5.99-a-month service called Univision Now. The company joins a growing field of major networks, including HBO, CBS, Showtime, NBC, the Tennis Channel and Smithsonian Channel, in experimenting with stand-alone streaming services to enable viewers to watch programming on their cellphones, tablets and computers.

Univision's new service provides live streams of its two over-the-air broadcast TV networks -- Univision and UniMás -- but not the company's popular cable TV channels. "Our target audience is over-the-air viewers who have never subscribed to pay-TV," said Tonia O'Connor, president of content distribution for Univision. Univision recognizes that a majority of its Latino viewers watch its main broadcast networks, which are accessible for free with an antenna. Univision also did not want to undercut the efforts of its distribution partners, the pay-TV companies, which have introduced so-called TV Everywhere apps to enable customers to watch a full complement of programming on mobile devices. TV Everywhere users must certify that they subscribe to pay-TV to access the content on their phones and tablets.