News

Shamrock Capital has acquired Stargate‘s music publishing catalog. No financial terms were disclosed. Stargate is a songwriting and publishing duo comprised of Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen. The catalog includes Grammy Award-nominated songs that have been recorded by top artists such as Katy Perry, Rihanna and Beyonce.

PRESS RELEASE

Los Angeles – October 16, 2018 – Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles based investment firm, today announced that its Entertainment IP Fund has acquired the music publishing catalogue from Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, known as the songwriting and production duo, Stargate.

Shamrock acquired the catalogue through its Entertainment IP Fund which was formed to acquire existing entertainment intellectual property rights across the broader music, film and television content sectors of the industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The deal includes some of the biggest songs by top artists such as “Firework” by Katy Perry; “Diamonds,” “Rude Boy,” and “What ́s My Name” by Rihanna; “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce, as well as a vast catalogue of contemporary pop hits from the last 20 years. In one fell swoop, the investment firm now owns 10 #1 songs from the Billboard Hot 100, three Grammy Song and Record of the Year nominations and more than 50 UK top 10 hits.

The LA-based Norwegians – Hermansen and Eriksen – have worked with some of the most influential artists of the last decade and they are especially noted for their 10-year working relationship with global superstar Rihanna. The Grammy and ASCAP Songwriter of the year-winning duo’s songs have been instrumental in helping combine R&B, electronic and urban genres into the mainstream sound of pop that dominates today’s charts.

“Tor and Mikkel are prolific songwriters and producers who have created an extraordinary body of work that will remain relevant for generations to come. It’s a privilege for us to have had the opportunity to work with them and acquire this truly unique catalogue of music,” said Patrick Russo, Partner at Shamrock Capital. “This diverse catalogue complements our existing music publishing and recorded music rights and advances our long-term strategy of building and holding a portfolio of evergreen properties.”

“This is a great time for music,” said Tor Hermansen of Stargate. “When you’re starting out in your bedroom making music, you have no idea that 20 years later this can have true value. We’re excited and proud that Shamrock recognizes this value and believes in our music.”

Mikkel Eriksen added, “Jason and Patrick at Shamrock know their numbers, but they ́re also music-lovers. We feel confident that our life’s work is safe in their hands for years to come.”

About Shamrock Capital’s Entertainment IP Fund
Shamrock’s Entertainment IP Fund is an investment vehicle managed by Shamrock Capital that acquires existing entertainment intellectual property rights across filmed entertainment, television programming, music publishing rights, recorded music masters, video games and other forms of entertainment content. The Entertainment IP Fund targets investment opportunities that possess the following key characteristics (i) long-term revenue streams that are generated across multiple distribution platforms globally, (ii) predictable post-release performance characteristics and (iii) low correlation and resilience to general economic trends.

About Shamrock Capital
Shamrock Capital is a Los Angeles-based investment firm with approximately $1.9 billion of assets under management, investing exclusively in the media, entertainment and communications sectors. Shamrock was originally founded in 1978 as the family investment company of the late Roy E. Disney and has since evolved into an institutional money manager with a leading group of investors including endowment and pension funds. Shamrock partners with strong management teams and takes an active, collaborative approach to creating value in each investment. Shamrock’s current investments include Appetize, Branded Cities, BTI Studios, FanDuel, INgrooves Music Group, Maple Media, Mobilitie, Omega Wireless, Pixellot, Screenvision Media, Silvergate Media and Wpromote. For more information, visit: shamrockcap.com.