Reservoir & ‘American Idol’ Producer 19 Entertainment Strike Joint Venture Deal
Reservoir Media, Inc. has formed a new joint venture with American Idol producer 19 Entertainment to sign new publishing deals with contestants featured on the longstanding series.
The companies will also work alongside 19 Entertainment’s label partner, BMG.
Contestants from American Idol, which is currently in its sixth season on ABC— and 21st season overall—have generated over 50 Grammy nominations, more than 450 No. 1s across all Billboard charts and over 95 Gold records.
“American Idol has not only defined music competition television for over 20 years, but also launched amazing music careers,” says John Ozier, Reservoir Executive Vice President of Creative. “It is really exciting to work with 19 Entertainment to get in on the ground floor and invest in the journeys of the talented contestants beyond the show.”
“Reservoir has always pledged to help developing artists grow with bespoke support from our creative team, and we are happy to have the opportunity to demonstrate that commitment alongside 19 Entertainment and American Idol, a brand that has been supporting developing artists for over two decades,” says Rell Lafargue, Reservoir President and Chief Operating Officer. “From John Ozier and Greg Gallo in Nashville to Donna Caseine in L.A., to Charlie Pinder and Annette Barrett in London and more, we look forward to putting the global Reservoir creative resources into these deals.”
“For the past few years, we at 19 have been hyper-focused on turning 19 into an artist development hub, signing artists from the incredible pool of talent discovered by the team behind American Idol,” adds Elissa Felman, Vice President of Music, Sony Pictures Television. “We know the only way we’re successful in that venture is by partnering with some of the top minds in the business, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be partnering with the amazing and creative staff at Reservoir. Songwriting is the foundation of our business – without songwriters, there are no songs, and Reservoir has proven to be a powerhouse with respect to nurturing and developing songwriters.”
