ClicknClear strikes catalogue deal with Warner Chappell Music and adds gymnastics and figure skating to its roster of global sports partners

22 January 2024 - Press release

$1 billion USD of additional annual revenue is now accessible to the music industry via ClicknClear's platform following agreements with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and International Skating Union (ISU)

 

ClicknClear (the "Company"), the award-winning tech platform that enables the global choreographed performance sports market to legally use music, has signed an agreement with Warner Chappell Music which adds the publisher's 1.3+ million works to ClicknClear's catalogue.  Newly signed deals with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and International Skating Union (ISU) mean ClicknClear's platform now offers the music industry access to approximately $1 billion USD of additional untapped annual revenue, out of a total addressable market of over $2.4 billion USD, with further sports in the pipeline for 2024.

Each year more than 100 million young people aged 12 to 24 worldwide participate in choreographed performance sports - such as figure skating, gymnastics, cheerleading, and dance - where music is an integral part of any routine.

The long term deals with the FIG and ISU see ClicknClear become the approved music licensing platform for the global figure skating and gymnastics communities. Gymnasts and figure skaters worldwide, from grassroots through to elite level, will use music from ClicknClear's platform for their routines, and sports administrators will use it to verify and enforce music licensing worldwide, ensuring labels and publishers – as well as the artists and songwriters they represent - are rightfully paid when those tracks are used.

ClicknClear's Founder and CEO, Chantal Epp, said: "To be able to simultaneously announce partnerships with one of the world's most successful music publishers and two prestigious global choreographed performance sports is a strong validation of our technology platform, the quality and dedication of our team, and the momentum behind our business.

"The addition of Warner Chappell's catalogue of songs and compositions means we have even more great music readily available on our platform for our sports, while the addition of the FIG and ISU will enable Warner Chappell to join all our publisher and label partners in accessing additional sources of revenue.

"Collectively, these deals represent significant progress in our mission to build a frictionless relationship between the music industry and choreographed performance sports, and ultimately ensure that creators and rightsholders are properly rewarded for the use of their work with an additional, sustainable income stream."

More than 1,000 publishers and labels use ClicknClear's platform, including Universal Music Publishing, Sony Music, Warner Music, BMG, Kobalt, Concord, Downtown, and hundreds of independents. ClicknClear's proprietary technology currently manages over 26 million music rights.

Daniel Lang, VP, International Digital Licensing and Society Relations at Warner Chappell, said: "We know that athletes use our songwriters' music to inspire them as they perform.  This partnership with ClicknClear will make it easier to ensure our writers are appropriately remunerated for their work wherever it is used around the world and reduce cases of copyright infringement in sport." 

Headquartered in Switzerland, FIG is the oldest established international federation of an Olympic sport, with more than 160 national federation members worldwide. The ISU, founded in 1892, has more than 100 national federation members. Together with these national federations, the FIG and ISU govern the activities of many millions of artistic gymnasts, rhythmic gymnasts, and figure skaters around the world.

Today's news follows the announcement in 2023 of ClicknClear's deal with the US National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), to facilitate and enforce the licensing of the Company's music partners' catalogues for use in cheer, dance, gymnastics, show choir, and marching band by all 19,500 US high schools.