Foxtel and Universal Music end nine-month blackout, announce new royalties deal

Universal Music Australia has announced it will end its blackout on Foxtel’s music channels by announcing the two companies had reached a new deal over royalties.

The deal ends a nine-month blackout on music clips from major artists such as Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and 5 Seconds of Summer being shown on Foxtel’s music channels Channel V, V Hits, CMC, Max and Smooth.

Brian Walsh, Foxtel executive director of television, said: “We are very pleased to achieve this landmark deal with Universal Music and my thanks to George Ash and his team for working to a satisfactory resolution. The finalisation of this deal sets us up to revitalise our full suite of music channels, moving forward.

George Ash, president of Universal Music Asia Pacific, said: “We are thrilled to continue our great partnership with Foxtel, and we’re looking forward to working with Brian Walsh and his fantastic team to bring exceptional new music to all Foxtel subscribers.”