MUMBAI: Viacom Inc's MTV Networks and Warner Music Group Corp have announced a broad-reaching, multi-year partnership that strengthens MTV Music Group's leadership position in the digital music category while expanding WMG's artist-centered video strategy.
The agreement offers one-stop shopping for advertising inventory around the industry's most comprehensive source of music-related programming and music videos. MTV Music Group will now have the exclusive right to sell advertising inventory around WMG premium music video content in the U.S. across MTV Music Group digital properties and mobile services, as well as on WMG's growing network of proprietary artist sites and third-party affiliate sites. As part of the deal, WMG's video views will now be counted as part of MTV Music Group's.
MTV and WMG will also work together to sell advertising on WMG mobile apps and WAP sites, as well as identify sponsors for WMG artist tours and live events. MTV will also provide WMG labels with a full range of ad sales services from its ad sales and marketing teams, including marketing, strategy and planning, pipeline management and reporting, and the management of agency relationships. In addition to online and mobile opportunities, WMG artists will continue to receive exposure across popular MTV Music Group networks such as MTV, VH1, CMT, MTV2, VH1 Classic, Palladia and others.
Through this new partnership, WMG artists will have multiple ways to reach MTV's hyper-connected audience across its flagship music franchises, covering multiple genres and platforms such as MTV's Emmy Award winning Unplugged series, VH1's Behind the Music and CMT's Crossroads.
"As music consumption continues to evolve, we have evolved with it on linear and digital platforms to provide music fans with multiple ways to discover and access the music and artists they love," said MTV Music Group president Van Toffler. "This partnership with WMG is good for music fans, artists and the business, allowing consumers to connect directly with WMG's biggest musical artists simultaneously through music videos, interviews, exclusive archival footage, live performances and even original content we create together, truly building a musical experience for the future."