Viacom's MTV Networks and Warner Music Group announced a multiyear deal under which MTV Music Group has the exclusive right to sell ad inventory around WMG's music-video content for online and mobile services.
Under the agreement, WMG's video views will now be attributed to MTV Music Group. The companies did not disclose how revenue will be split.
MTV Music Group will sell ads around WMG premium content in the U.S. across MTV Music Group digital properties and mobile services, on WMG's proprietary artist sites and mobile sites, and on third-party affiliate sites.
MTVN also will identify sponsors for WMG artist tours and live events, and WMG artists will "continue to receive exposure" across MTV networks such as MTV, VH1, CMT, MTV2, VH1 Classic and Palladia, the companies said.
Three other major music companies -- Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music -- are distributing their videos primarily through the joint venture Vevo, which is powered by Google's YouTube.
WMG's record labels include Asylum, Atlantic, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Rykodisc, Sire and Warner Bros. Artists in the Warner Music Group stable include Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, Green Day, Faith Hill, Jonas Brothers and Metallica.
"This partnership with WMG is good for music fans, artists and the business," MTV Music Group president Van Toffler said in a statement. The deal will allow 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."
"At WMG our highest priority is to keep the artists at the center of everything we do, and this alliance enables us to offer our artists the marketing and sales firepower of the world's most widely recognized and highly trafficked music destinations to help them drive revenue from their video content, on the artist's own site, as well as through the many other places that fans access their music," commented Lyor Cohen, WMG's CEO for Recorded Music for the Americas and the U.K. "MTV Music Group has a history of creating compelling music content on TV, digitally and, most recently, in music games and their ability to leverage all of these platforms offers our artists a broader reach and a more compelling way for us to further connect them with music fans."
Previously, some of WMG's online ad sales were handled by Outrigger Media, a provider of Internet video advertising solutions. WMG said it will "continue to work with Outrigger over the next few months" as it relates to the company's premium advertising sales and will "explore opportunities beyond the transition with MTVN."
