-
Live Nation, VICE Team Up On New Digital Content Platform
November 12, 2014 at 1:04 PM (PT)
What do you think? Add your comment below. -
VICE and LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT are joining forces to develop and launch a new digital content platform delivering live music to online and mobile audiences. The joint venture will marry LIVE NATION's massive live music base and access to thousands of artists globally, with the creative and expert editorial acumen of VICE to bring the platform to all major markets across the world in nine different languages.
The announcement was made today by LIVE NATION CEO/President MICHAEL RAPINO and VICE Founder/CEO SHANE SMITH.
As the voice of live digital music, the platform will deliver original, artist-driven live content from the stage to the studio, bringing them to life across multiple platforms by connecting audiences with the same emotional experiences of a live show whenever they want.
The platform will also eventually feature hundreds of hours of originally produced content, including: brand-new long and short-form video series, premium editorial franchises, new live digital music experiences created collaboratively with artists, in depth documentaries, as well as daily editorial content, along with ecommerce and ticketing offerings.
The platform will roll out across multiple screens including mobile, web and TV in 2015.
"SHANE and the VICE organization have proven to be the voice of this generation. Together with LIVE NATION's platform, we are positioned to become the voice of live music by developing an artist-centric, 24/7 global music destination that enables artists to bring their creative vision to life in a new and rich online and mobile music ecosystem," said RAPINO.
SMITH added, "This partnership rethinks the live music experience, offering unprecedented access to the world's biggest stars and emerging artists, and groundbreaking content that will be distributed across the holy trinity of mobile, online and TV. Today the content world is in upheaval, with new brands being created in real time, and mainstream media seeing its audience migrate in record numbers. It's this de-stratification of the status quo that we find so exciting because that, combined with the lack of any real quality music programming out there, equals one hell of an opportunity. We think that this partnership will give VICE and LIVE NATION the unique ability to totally re-imagine music content on a global scale, and if that doesn't get your rocks off, I don't know what will!"
LIVE NATION and VICE will each contribute infrastructure and resources to the platform. VICE will focus on content and programming, while each entity will contribute marketing, sales and sponsorship capabilities. The platform will be an autonomous revenue generator by marketing to a global audience, and offering unique brand partnerships and the most innovative digital assets.

