LONDON — Universal Music Group (www.universalmusic.com) has announced the formation of Mercury Studios, a new, multi-faceted content studio established to develop, produce and invest in innovative, music-based storytelling. In addition to content development and production, Mercury Studios will include global film and television producer Eagle Rock Entertainment (ERE) and build upon ERE’s award winning library, which includes nearly 2,000 hours of programming and more than 800 original documentaries.
Mercury Studios will produce content with music continuing to serve as the foundation for projects across performance/live, factual/reality, scripted, artist and filmmaker partnerships and remastering and audio originals via film and television content, podcasts and short form content. In addition, Mercury will leverage ERE’s global sales division alongside home video and digital media distribution.
Mercury Studios will be led by media executive Alice Webb (pictured), who was appointed CEO of Eagle Rock by Universal Music UK, chairman and CEO, David Joseph in 2019, following a successful 15-year career at the BBC.
“Mercury Studios will bring together the very best in the business under the exceptional leadership of Alice, who has already proved herself as a dynamic creative innovator, not least during her time at the BBC,” says Joseph. “Mercury will be about bold ideas, exciting new talent but above all compelling visual storytelling, all of which will be demonstrated with the exciting projects we will be announcing over the coming weeks. Music is a world full of the most extraordinary stories, with so many yet to be told.”
Mercury Studios will carry on ERE’s history of filming live performances, including live-streamed concerts, and will have offices in London and Los Angeles.