business
Kelly Bradshaw to Oversee MTV Entertainment Brands Outside U.S.
A new executive is taking charge of ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group brands abroad. Kerry Taylor is leaving her post as executive vp of MTV Entertainment International, with Kelly Bradshaw taking on the new role of senior vp of MTV Entertainment Brands International. In that role, she will lead the MTV Entertainment brands, which include the likes of MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network and VH1, outside of the U.S. “Long-time partner and friend” Taylor has “after 14 tremendous years … decided to step away,” ViacomCBS Networks International president and CEO Raffaele Annecchino said in an internal memo obtained by THR. “As many of you who have worked with Kerry Taylor can attest, she will be greatly missed as she has made remarkable contributions to our brands a...
Mushroom Group Parts With Harbour Agency Following Investigation
Mushroom Group, the Australian independent music powerhouse, has ended its decades-long association with The Harbour Agency. The split, confirmed in a statement from Melbourne-based Mushroom Group, was triggered by an investigation into claims from former Harbour Agency staff on past management behavior and workplace culture. “Mushroom Group can confirm that The Harbour Agency is no longer part of the Mushroom Group of Companies,” reads the message, seen by Billboard. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “For many years now Harbour has operated independently of the Mushroom Group,” the statement continues. “Unlike all other Mushroom Group companies it has not shared HR, legal, finance or other group corporate services.” Mushroom has distanced itself...
Troubled Music Festival Hit With Lawsuit, Claiming Fyre Fest–Like Conditions
Disgruntled concertgoers filed a class action Tuesday on behalf of thousands of people who attended the Elements Music and Arts Festival in September, a troubled EDM festival that has drawn comparisons to the infamous Fyre Festival. Held on Labor Day weekend, the Elements festival drew thousands of fans to rural Pennsylvania with a lineup that featured EDM stalwarts like Diplo, CloZee and Griz. But in the days after, fans flooded social media with complaints of muddy conditions, shoddy staffing, little water and 10-hour waits to enter. In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court that echoed those complaints, three Elements attendees accused the event’s organizers of gross negligence, deceptive business practices and other wrongdoing over an “understaffed, disorganized, and unsanitary f...
‘Eye of the Tiger’ Writer Strikes Catalog Deal With Primary Wave
Jim Peterik — a songwriter and band member of The Ides of March, ’80s pop-rock band Survivor and southern rock group .38 Special — has sold a majority stake in his full publishing catalog to Primary Wave. According to sources close to the deal, the acquisition is purported to be in the ballpark of $20 million. It includes Peterik’s stake in the perennial rock anthem “Eye of the Tiger,” which became Survivor’s greatest hit after its placement in Rocky III‘s montage training scene. Along with “Eye of the Tiger,” Peterik’s new partnership with Primary Wave will include other Survivor co-writes like “Burning Heart,” “High On You” and “I Can’t Hold Back.” It also includes .38 Special’s platinum-selling hits “Hold On Loosely” and “Caught Up In You” as well as “Vehicle” by The Ides of March. Prim...
100 Thieves Raises $60 Million USD In Series C Funding
Gaming and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves has now raised $60 million USD in its Series C funding round. The new injection of money comes two years after its Series B round in 2019 where it raised $35 million USD and now brings the company’s total valuation up to $460 million USD. Green Bay Ventures led the funding for the team, which grew from a modest 20 employees back at its foundation in 2017 to now more than 100 staff strong, boosted by its recent acquisition of gaming hardware firm Higround. “Our performance in 2021 exceeded all of my expectations,” said founder and CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag. “We have delivered on our core promise of elevating gaming culture while building a strong business and brand for the long term. 100 Thieves now has the capital to launch and acquire new companies...
Anthony Martini Joins Slip.Stream as Chief Music Officer
Music industry veteran Anthony Martini has joined record label, distribution platform and music licensing startup Slip.stream as chief music officer and partner, it was revealed today. The announcement comes several months after Slip.stream acquired the brand and name of Martini’s indie hip-hop label, Commission Music, along with the recording contracts for Powers Pleasant, Big Havi, DJ Envy and DJ Holiday, in August. At the time, it was announced that Martini would join Slip.stream’s board to help guide the development of the company’s frontline record label. He will now lead that process, while also developing new music products across the intersection of gaming, content creators and brands. Martini joins Slip.stream from a brief stint at Royalty Exchange, where he was appointed CEO in M...
Live Nation Finalizes $416 Million Acquisition of Mexican Promotion Giant OCESA
More than two years after it was first announced, Live Nation has finalized the acquisition of a 51% interest in Mexican concert promoter OCESA Entretenimiento, the company announced Monday. Live Nation bought its stake from CIE, a Latin American entertainment company, and media company Grupo Televisa, for MXN $8.84 billion – $416 million at Monday’s exchange rate but $444 million when the deal was announced in July 2019. OCESA significantly improves Live Nation’s presence in Latin America and further expands its international business. In 2019, OCESA’s holding company, Grupo Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento, reported $233.2 million in ticket sales to 936 events for 4.3 million fans from 3,400 shows spanning from the U.S. to Colombia, according to Billboard’s 2019 y...
Astroworld Lawsuits — Nearly 300 & Counting — Will Be Combined Into Single Giant Case
The hundreds of lawsuits filed over the deadly Astroworld music festival will be consolidated into one enormous case, according to a court filing made public Friday (Dec. 3), signaling the start of the next major phase in the sprawling litigation. Four weeks after a crowd surge during Travis Scott’s Nov. 5 performance left 10 dead and hundreds injured, attorneys for both victims and festival organizers filed a joint petition Friday seeking to combine the cases – 275 and counting — into a so-called multi-district litigation before a single judge. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The two sides reached the agreement because they said such a consolidated proceeding was the best way to handle an enormous, complex legal battle that already involves 1,250 plaintiffs. “This type of litig...
UK Streaming Reform Bill Put On Ice After House of Commons Debate
LONDON – The British government said Friday that it recognizes there is a problem around the low rates of pay some artists and performers receive from music streaming — and refused to rule out legislating change if the industry can’t work together to find its own solutions. “We want a fair streaming environment in which the U.K. music industry can thrive and artists are properly rewarded,” George Freeman, a Conservative government minister, said during a four-hour debate in the House of Commons over a bill that seeks to reform music streaming payouts. The Copyright (Rights and Remuneration of Musicians) Bill failed Friday to progress to the next stage of the legislative process as proceedings overran. That means the bill remains on the agenda of Private Members’ bills to be debated by MPs ...
Two Men Charged With Stealing Over $20 Million in Latin Music YouTube Royalties
In what prosecutors are describing as a brazen case of fraud, two men have been charged with illegally collecting over $20 million in Latin music royalties. José Teran of Scottsdale, Arizona and Webster Batista of Doral, Florida were charged Wednesday (Dec. 1) in federal court in Phoenix after being accused of fraudulently monetizing over 50,000 songs through their company, MediaMuv. According to sources, and to a report published in Marketwatch, the men unlawfully collected royalties on songs from a wide range of Latin artists, including Piso 21, El Fantasma, Angeles Azules and Los Askis. According to the indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Arizona, Terán and Batista made false representations in order to claim more than $20 million in YouTube royalties in a scheme that ...
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is the Highest-Grossing and Most-Attended Venue of the Year Globally
In an unstable year for touring, an unlikely contender has risen to become the highest-grossing and most-attended venue of the year. According to data provided to Billboard Boxscore, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado is not only the biggest moneymaking venue with a capacity between 5,001-10,000 of 2021 but the top-grossing venue of any size, in the world, for the year. With 134 shows reported to Boxscore, the beloved, 9,500-seat outdoor venue brought in more than $61.6 million. To further contextualize Red Rocks’ extraordinary performance, the amphitheater out-earned the next highest-grossing venue overall — Las Vegas’ 20,000-capacity T-Mobile Arena, which took in $37.2 million last year according to Billboard Boxscore — by more than $24 million. The next highest-reported ...
My Chemical Romance and Gerard Way Sign With CAA
My Chemical Romance and lead singer Gerard Way have signed with CAA for representation in all areas. Both the group and Way solo will be represented by the agency in North America, Australia, Mexico, Japan, the Middle East and Africa. The Grammy-nominated rock band originated in Newark, New Jersey and released their debut album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love independently in 2002. One year later, the band signed to Reprise Records and released Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge in 2004, which has now reached 3x Certified Platinum. According to MRC Data, My Chemical Romance has six charting albums on the Billboard 200, including three top 10s (The Black Parade which hit No. 2; Danger Days...
