Screenshot courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment & UMG
Earlier this week, Big Hit Entertainment and Universal Music Groups confirmed plans for an “important announcement” Wednesday evening.
The announcement, delivered by Bang Si-Hyuk and Lenzo Yoon of Big Hit, Sir Lucian Grainge of Universal Music Group, and John Janick of UMG’s Interscope Geffen A&M, included three components.
Two expanded upon earlier news of a digital content partnership between the two media giants. Universal Music Group and its artists will continue exploring fan engagement through Big Hit’s successful Weverse platform. UMG artists Gracie Abrams, Alexander23, New Hope Club, and Yungblud have either launched or will launch Weverse communities, with more names to potentially join moving forward.
The companies also discussed their collaborative support for live streaming platform VenewLive.
The third piece of the announcement – the truly “new’ piece of information – concerns the launch of a new global boy group. The group will release projects on a new, LA-based label, created as a joint venture between Big Hit and UMG’s Geffen Records. Big Hit will develop the act in conjunction with the K-pop system, while Geffen will leverage its expertise in production, marketing, and distribution.
“Members of this new boy group will be selected through a global audition program, which is on track to begin airing in 2022 and will be launched in conjunction with a major U.S. media partner,” notes the official statement.