Netherlands-headquartered pay-per-view concert streaming service On Air has signed a global licensing deal with Universal Music Group’s full-service production studio Mercury Studios.
The deal will bring Mercury Studios’ catalog of live concert videos to On Air, including archival content from artists such as The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Katy Perry, Madonna, Hans Zimmer, Etta James, Fall Out Boy, Bob Marley, and others.
They will join On Air’s repertoire, which already includes streams by Zara Larsson, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, All Time Low, and more.
The first Mercury Studios shows are available to stream on On Air now. Prices start at GBP £8.99 per show (USD $11.40 at current exchange rates) and include unlimited replays.
“On Air provides an exciting opportunity to showcase the breadth of Mercury Studios’ programming, from award-winning documentaries to concerts by iconic artists like Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Chicago, Jeff Beck, Cypress Hill, and INXS,” said Rob Gill, SVP Global Operations at Mercury Studios.
“This partnership with On Air will further expand the reach of these remarkable performances.”
“On Air provides an exciting opportunity to showcase the breadth of Mercury Studios’ programming.”
Rob Gill, Mercury Studios
Mercury Studios’ catalog includes more than 2,000 hours of performances, including assets from the legendary Eagle Rock production company.
Mercury’s recent projects include Oscar- and BAFTA award-nominated American Symphony for the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions and Netflix; If These Walls Could Sing for Disney+; My Life as a Rolling Stone for the BBC and MGM+; Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl for Netflix; and This Town, a six-part series for the BBC from writer, creator, and executive producer Steven Knight.
“We’re here to support the distribution of catalogs and monetization of long-form content in 4K with Dolby Vision and Atmos technology,” said Jakub Krempl, CEO of On Air.
“On Air provides an end-to-end service to artists, labels and rights holders – all backed by a cutting-edge tech stack.”
On Air’s streaming app is available on Apple and Android devices, as well as for Apple TV and Android TV, as well as Amazon’s Fire Stick.
On Air’s deal with Mercury comes at a time when many music and media companies are looking to expand their presence in live music streaming, which saw rapid growth during and since the pandemic.
Live Nation bought a stake in Veeps, a live concert streaming platform, in 2021; the platform has since launched a subscription service for concerts.
“On Air provides an end-to-end service to artists, labels and rights holders – all backed by a cutting-edge tech stack.”
Jakub Krempl, On Air
Apple launched a livestream concert series headlined by Harry Styles in 2022, while China’s Tencent Music Entertainment hosted a Backstreet Boys livestream that garnered 45 million viewers.
TikTok’s first ever live-streamed concert, in December 2023, featured Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta, Charlie Puth, Offset, and Peso Pluma, among others, and attracted 33.5 million unique visitors.Music Business Worldwide