Warner Bros. Discovery and Cutting Edge Group form JV to own and manage WBD's iconic music rights portfolio
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Cutting Edge Group (CEG) have formed a joint venture to co-own WBD's extensive film and TV music catalog, marking one of the largest music rights deals ever. The portfolio includes over 400,000 compositions and song cues from iconic franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and DC Comics movies, as well as popular TV shows such as Friends, Game of Thrones, and Succession.
Under the partnership, WBD will maintain creative and operational control of the music rights, while CEG will jointly manage the JV following its investment. DWS Group is co-investing and sponsoring the transaction. The catalog's administration will continue through Universal Music Publishing Group for Warner Brothers, HBO, and Turner Networks content, while Sony Music Publishing will handle the Discovery/Scripps Networks catalog.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) e Cutting Edge Group (CEG) hanno formato una joint venture per co-proprietare l'esteso catalogo musicale di film e TV di WBD, segnando uno dei più grandi accordi sui diritti musicali mai realizzati. Il portafoglio include oltre 400.000 composizioni e cue musicali da franchise iconici come Harry Potter, Il Signore degli Anelli e i film DC Comics, oltre a popolari serie TV come Friends, Game of Thrones e Succession.
Nel quadro della partnership, WBD manterrà il controllo creativo e operativo sui diritti musicali, mentre CEG gestirà congiuntamente la joint venture dopo il suo investimento. DWS Group co-investirà e sponsorizzerà la transazione. L'amministrazione del catalogo continuerà attraverso Universal Music Publishing Group per i contenuti di Warner Brothers, HBO e Turner Networks, mentre Sony Music Publishing si occuperà del catalogo Discovery/Scripps Networks.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) y Cutting Edge Group (CEG) han formado una empresa conjunta para co-propietar el extenso catálogo musical de películas y televisión de WBD, marcando uno de los acuerdos de derechos musicales más grandes de la historia. El portafolio incluye más de 400.000 composiciones y cues musicales de franquicias icónicas como Harry Potter, El Señor de los Anillos y las películas de DC Comics, así como de populares programas de televisión como Friends, Juego de Tronos y Succession.
Bajo la asociación, WBD mantendrá el control creativo y operativo de los derechos musicales, mientras que CEG gestionará conjuntamente la empresa conjunta tras su inversión. DWS Group está co-invirtiendo y patrocinando la transacción. La administración del catálogo continuará a través del Universal Music Publishing Group para el contenido de Warner Brothers, HBO y Turner Networks, mientras que Sony Music Publishing se encargará del catálogo de Discovery/Scripps Networks.
워너 브라더스 디스커버리 (WBD)와 커팅 엣지 그룹 (CEG)가 WBD의 방대한 영화 및 TV 음악 카탈로그를 공동 소유하기 위한 합작 투자를 형성했으며, 이는 역사상 가장 큰 음악 권리 거래 중 하나를 의미합니다. 포트폴리오는 해리 포터, 반지의 제왕 및 DC 코믹스 영화와 같은 상징적인 프랜차이즈부터 프렌즈, 왕좌의 게임, 석세션과 같은 인기 TV 쇼에 이르기까지 40만 개 이상의 작곡 및 음악 큐를 포함하고 있습니다.
파트너십에 따라 WBD는 음악 권리에 대한 창의적이고 운영적인 통제를 유지하며, CEG는 투자 이후 합작 회사를 공동 관리합니다. DWS 그룹이 거래에 공동 투자하고 후원하고 있습니다. 카탈로그의 관리는 워너 브라더스, HBO 및 터너 네트워크 콘텐츠를 위해 유니버설 뮤직 퍼블리싱 그룹을 통해 계속 진행되며, Sony Music Publishing은 Discovery/Scripps Networks 카탈로그를 처리합니다.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) et Cutting Edge Group (CEG) ont formé une coentreprise pour co-détenir l'immense catalogue musical de films et de télévision de WBD, marquant l'un des plus grands accords de droits musicaux jamais réalisés. Le portefeuille comprend plus de 400 000 compositions et cues musicaux issus de franchises emblématiques telles que Harry Potter, Le Seigneur des Anneaux et les films DC Comics, ainsi que de séries télévisées populaires comme Friends, Game of Thrones et Succession.
Dans le cadre de ce partenariat, WBD conservera le contrôle créatif et opérationnel des droits musicaux, tandis que CEG gérera conjointement la coentreprise après son investissement. Le groupe DWS co-investit et parraine la transaction. L'administration du catalogue continuera à se faire par Universal Music Publishing Group pour les contenus de Warner Brothers, HBO et Turner Networks, tandis que Sony Music Publishing s'occupera du catalogue Discovery/Scripps Networks.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) und Cutting Edge Group (CEG) haben ein Joint Venture gegründet, um das umfangreiche Film- und TV-Musikkatalog von WBD gemeinsam zu besitzen, was einen der größten Musikrechte-Deals aller Zeiten darstellt. Das Portfolio umfasst über 400.000 Kompositionen und Musik-Cues von ikonischen Franchises wie Harry Potter, Der Herr der Ringe und den DC Comics-Filmen sowie beliebten TV-Serien wie Friends, Game of Thrones und Succession.
Im Rahmen der Partnerschaft wird WBD die kreative und operative Kontrolle über die Musikrechte behalten, während CEG das Joint Venture nach seiner Investition gemeinsam verwalten wird. Die DWS Group beteiligt sich an der Investition und unterstützt die Transaktion. Die Verwaltung des Katalogs wird weiterhin über Universal Music Publishing Group für Inhalte von Warner Brothers, HBO und Turner Networks erfolgen, während Sony Music Publishing sich um den Katalog von Discovery/Scripps Networks kümmern wird.
- Creation of a significant revenue-generating partnership through music rights monetization
- WBD maintains creative and operational control while gaining CEG's expertise
- Portfolio includes 400,000+ compositions from highly valuable franchises
- Additional capital injection through DWS Group's co-investment
- None.
Insights
This landmark music rights joint venture represents a strategic masterstroke for Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially unlocking significant value from its vast music catalog while maintaining creative control. The deal's structure is particularly noteworthy as it allows WBD to monetize these assets without completely divesting them, providing immediate capital benefits while retaining upside potential.
The portfolio's scale and quality are exceptional, featuring music from franchises that consistently generate licensing revenues across multiple platforms. The timing is optimal, as the streaming era has created new monetization channels for legacy content, while sync licensing for social media, gaming and digital content has expanded the addressable market for music rights.
From a financial perspective, this deal achieves multiple objectives:
- Immediate capital injection to potentially aid WBD's ongoing debt reduction efforts
- Creation of a dedicated vehicle to maximize music rights exploitation with specialist expertise
- Retention of operational control while sharing management responsibilities
- Potential for increased revenue through CEG's specialized focus on music rights monetization
The partnership with CEG, known for its 19-year track record in media music assets and DWS Group's involvement as a major financial institution, suggests this deal was competitively structured. The continued administration by Universal Music Publishing Group and Sony Music Publishing maintains valuable industry relationships while adding institutional expertise to the venture.
This joint venture fundamentally transforms how WBD's music rights portfolio will be managed and monetized in the digital age. The catalog's depth is extraordinary, encompassing everything from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings to contemporary hits like Succession and The White Lotus, providing multiple revenue opportunities across different demographic segments and platforms.
The strategic significance extends beyond immediate financial benefits:
- Enhanced ability to license content across emerging platforms and technologies
- Improved positioning for the growing sync licensing market in social media and digital content
- Potential for creating new revenue streams through remixes, samples and derivative works
- Strengthened competitive position in negotiations with streaming platforms and content creators
By maintaining creative control while leveraging CEG's specialized expertise, WBD has created an optimal structure for maximizing the value of these irreplaceable assets. The continuation of existing administration agreements with Universal and Sony ensures stability while the new partnership focuses on value creation and market expansion.
Warner Bros and Cutting Edge partnering to enhance the music library's value
Together, WBD and CEG will focus on maximizing the distribution and revenue potential of the music portfolio, which contains more than 400,000 compositions and song cues, including some of the most recognized theme songs and scores in television and movie history. DWS Group is co-investing and sponsoring the transaction alongside CEG.
The library includes music from the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises, DC Comics movies, as well as TV shows such as Friends, Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory, Two and Half Men, Succession, and The White Lotus. Other iconic films and TV series represented in the portfolio include Rebel Without a Cause, The Exorcist, A Star is Born, Blade Runner, Shawshank Redemption, The West Wing, ER, Full House, Sex and The City and Gossip Girl.
The compositions from the Warner Brothers, HBO and Turner Networks catalogs will continue to be administered by Universal Music Publishing Group, while those from the Discovery/Scripps Networks catalog will remain under the administration of Sony Music Publishing.
Paul Broucek, President, Music, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: "This partnership with CEG is the perfect way to expand access to our unparalleled music library while honoring our long history of strong creative oversight and protecting the integrity of the works and artists. Together with CEG, we can find new and exciting ways to entertain a new generation of fans."
Philip Moross, CEO of Cutting Edge Group, said: "This truly is an iconic assembly of catalogs created over almost a century by one of
Tara Finegan, COO of Cutting Edge Group, added: "Cutting Edge is singularly placed to participate in a transaction of this nature, which is a testament to the strength and skill of our team, led by Tim Hegarty, our Head of M&A and Corporate Strategy. We are looking forward to working closely with our friends at Warner Bros. to grow the value that this irreplaceable portfolio already holds, while bringing the magic of these compositions to even more audiences around the world."
Vlado Spasov, Head of Capital Solutions at DWS Group, said: "We are proud to join forces with Cutting Edge and invest in partnership with Warner Bros in this strategic joint venture. This transaction exemplifies our strategy of delivering flexible and tailored capital solutions that empower asset owners and management teams to execute their vision with speed, certainty and control."
CEG is the industry's foremost integrated owner and operator of media music assets. It has a 19-year track record of success in this specialist segment of the market and industry leading expertise across its team in generating additional value from media music, underpinning WBD's decision to partner with them.
About Cutting Edge Group:
Cutting Edge Group is a majority family-owned business that specializes in acquiring and managing media music rights. Founded in 2006 and led by CEO Philip Moross, a pioneer in the market of music for film and tv, CEG has assembled a specialist portfolio of more than 2,000 titles across soundtrack albums, publishing assets and royalty income streams, comprising music that has featured in some of the world's most recognized film, tv, theatre productions and video games, including John Wick, Elf, Star Trek: Discovery, Moonlight, The Office, South Park, NCIS:
About Warner Bros. Discovery:
Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2609967/Cutting_Edge_Group_Philip_Moross.jpg
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2609969/Cutting_Edge_Group_Tim_Hegarty.jpg
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2609968/Cutting_Edge_Group_Tara_Finegan.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2609965/Cutting_Edge_Group_Logo.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2609965/Cutting_Edge_Group_Logo.jpg
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/warner-bros-discovery-and-cutting-edge-group-form-jv-to-own-and-manage-wbds-iconic-music-rights-portfolio-302365417.html
SOURCE Cutting Edge Group
FAQ
What is the size of WBD's music catalog included in the Cutting Edge Group joint venture?
Which major franchises are included in WBD's music rights portfolio?
Who will manage the music rights in the WBD-CEG joint venture?
Which companies will handle the administration of WBD's music catalog?
What is DWS Group's role in the WBD-CEG music rights joint venture?
