The new ownership, in partnership with Televisa, says it will enhance Univision’s digital presence, deepen relationships with Hispanic audiences and communities, and create market-defining content for the next generation of Spanish-speaking viewers. Televisa will maintain its existing ownership and the Program License Agreement with Univision. Veteran media executive Wade Davis becomes CEO of Univision.
The FCC’s Media Bureau has approved the Univision Holdings sale of majority ownership interest in the Spanish-language media company and its broadcast properties (65 TV stations and 58 radio stations) to investment firms Searchlight Capital Partners and ForgeLight. The bureau’s approval is conditioned on the sale of three Puerto Rico TV stations — WLII and two satellites, WSUR and WOLE — to comply with FCC local ownership rules.
Former Viacom Inc. CFO Wade Davis is finalizing an agreement to buy Univision Communications in a deal that could be announced as soon as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. Davis and his backers at Searchlight Capital Partners are expected to contribute about $800 million for a controlling stake in the Spanish-language media giant. The transaction would value Univision at less than $10 billion including debt, the people said.
