Univision to Join Dyle Launch

The Mobile Content Venture (MCV) and Univision Television Group have announced that Univision will join the network of broadcasters deploying the consumer mobile digital TV service Dyle and that two Univision stations, KMEX in Los Angeles and WLTV in Miami, will offer the service.

The announcement means that four of the six largest broadcast networks, including Fox, NBC, Univision, Ion and Telemundo, are participating in the MCV-backed service in at least some markets and that around 72 U.S. stations covering about half the country will launch DTV signals in 2011.

The consumer launch of the Dyle service is expected in the first half of 2012.

In terms of consumer demand, the agreement means that Hispanics, who are heavy mobile video users, will be able to view programming from KMEX and KLTV, two of the top-rated stations in Los Angeles and Miami, which in turn are two of the largest Hispanic markets in the U.S.

As part of the launch, Univision will be implementing standards-based conditional access and will be fully compatible with the Dyle mobile applications

"As the Dyle mobile TV footprint continues to expand, we are especially pleased to see the leading Spanish-language media networks support the Dyle consumer launch in 2012," noted Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, co-general managers of MCV, in a joint statement. "The addition of Univision stations reinforces the consumer appetite for live TV on mobile devices and ensures Dyle will reach a key Hispanic audience, who over-index in mobile content usage."

"Our participation in MCV speaks to our commitment to making the most popular content for Hispanic Americans available to our audiences across platforms," added Kevin Cuddihy, president of Univision Television Group, in a statement.

In 2011, MCV expects to offer the mobile video service on more than 72 stations in 32 markets, reaching 50 percent of the U.S. population. The markets include: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Tampa, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Orlando, Portland, Cincinnati, Greenville, West Palm Beach, Birmingham, Knoxville, Miami, Las Vegas, Denver, St. Louis, Cleveland, Charlotte, Seattle, Raleigh, Kansas City, Columbus, Tulsa and Montgomery. 

Mobile Content Venture (MCV) is a joint-venture PearlMobile DTV, which is made up of 12 major broadcast groups, and Fox, Ion Television, and NBC.