New British invasion
Lousada’s rise puts English trio atop music biz
THE music business has always been something of a transatlantic affair, at least since The Beatles crossed The Atlantic and sang “She Loves You” on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
But the arrival of Brit Max Lousada at the helm of Warner Music Group’s global recorded music business this week means that there are three redcoats making decisions about who gets to the top of the charts.
Lousada had been looking after artists such as Rita Ora (pictured) and Kate Bush, as well as Coldplay and Ed Sheeran, while CEO of Warner Music UK.
At French-owned Universal Music Group, there’s British Lucian Grainge, and now running Japan’s Sony Music Group is another Brit, Rob Stringer, who just had his first week on the throne.
Even the Grammys appeared to be something of a takeover this year, with tributes to the late George Michael and the Bee Gees, and performances by Adele and Sheeran. One music vet quipped, “The Brits invaded in the ’60s and now they’re back again in force. But the guys and gals in the ’60s had better hair than the ones we’re seeing today.”
Miami slice
Anyone who’s spent $55 on a cab ride and more than an hour in traffic to get from South Beach to the recent Miami Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne can sympathize with entrepreneur Stephen Ross’ suggestion about moving the event.
Ross’ idea is to relocate it from Crandon Park to the Hard Rock stadium in Miami Gardens.
The Miami Herald reports that Ross, the owner of the Dolphins, is discussing a plan to shift out of the current venue, which seats just 13,800.
The Miami Open, sponsored by Brazilian bank Itau, is unofficially known as the “fifth grand slam.”
Crandon Park is in need of an upgrade, but it’s hard to see another venue replicating the intimate surroundings and producingg the same unitedd crowd — or maybe that was just the effect of Roger r Federer rer. The tennis great, who won the tournament last weekend, told the paper: “If you want to go bigigger, clearly you have to move,” adding that hehe wished it could stayy where it is.
Epix move
Mark Greenberg’s Epix is look-ing for new digs and new distribution deals now that it’s under the sole ownership of Hollywood’s’s MGM.
The formerly bankruptnkrupt TV and movie businesss behind the James Bond franchisehise paid $1 bil-billion to acquire the premiumpremium TV network from its other owners, Lionsgate and Viacom.
Greenberg told uss the business will now be in a much better position to persuade major distribution partners such as Comcast, Altice and AT&T’s Di-DirecTV to think aboutut carriage deals.
Until recently, Epix was distributed alongside Viacom’s channel bundle. Epix will be movingg out of its Via-Viacom offices at 1515 Broadway.
Greenberg and MGM Chief Executive Gary Barber are well known to each other. Greenberg tellsells On the Money he begged Barber for a ticket to a James Bond movie premiere, but was told he needed a tuxedo and shoushould wear it with a bow tie. To Greenberg's dismay, he and Barber were the only guys in what Bond might call a “dicky bow.” As for the next BBond movie, Greenberg is mum, but On The Money can’t DanielDa Craig to reprise his role as 007.
Vegas ice
WilliamWi Foley, the billionaire owner of the NHL’s expansion team Las Vegas Golden Knights, is starting to look like a sucker, a hockey exec told On the Money. Presently, the Golden Knights are in talks for a mediam rights deal and aare only attracting offersfe of slightly more than $110 million a year, two sources said.said That would be among the lowest concontracts in the league. A Golden KniKnights spokesman said, “We are involved in active discussions with several parties. The specifics of these discussions will remaremain confidential.” Foley paid thethe NHLNHL a $500 million expansionsion fee to secure the team, which starts playing next season. IIf he can only attract $10 million annually from a regional sports network, the team could lose more than $30 million a year, the hockey executive fig- Meanwhile, Foley has quickly lost his status as the only major league sports owner in Las VegVegas. The NFL’s OaklandOak Raiders announcednounced recentrecently it was moving to Vegas, and the cityc was paying it $750 million to help buildb a new stadium. Las Vegas paid Foley, who also helped build a new arena, nothing.