Warner Bros. Discovery and Cutting Edge have formed a significant joint venture to co-own and manage WBD's extensive film and TV music catalog, marking one of the largest music rights deals in industry history.

The catalog includes over 400,000 compositions and song cues from iconic properties including Game of Thrones, various comic-book films, and The Shawshank Redemption. Under the agreement, WBD will maintain creative and operational control of the music rights, while Cutting Edge will participate in joint management.

Key aspects of the deal:

• Universal Music Publishing Group and Sony Music Publishing will continue their existing administration roles
• Germany's DWS Group is co-investing in the transaction
• The partnership aims to maximize distribution and revenue potential of the catalog
• Cutting Edge brings expertise from managing stakes in over 1,000 films and 45,000 tracks

"This truly is an iconic assembly of catalogs created over almost a century by one of Hollywood's original studios," said Cutting Edge founder and CEO Philip Moross, highlighting the historic significance of the partnership.

The deal represents a strategic shift from WBD's previous attempts to sell its music library outright, instead opting for a collaborative approach to monetize its valuable music rights portfolio while maintaining significant control over the assets.

While financial terms remain undisclosed, the scale and scope of the catalog make this one of the most substantial music rights transactions in recent history.

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