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Universal Music Group Launches TV & Film Division Mercury Studios, Led By Alice Webb

Universal Music Group has launched a new TV and film studio and has set a former BBC executive to run it.

The record label behind groups such as Nirvana and Sonic Youth has established Mercury Studios with Alice Webb as CEO. Webb joined UMG-owned Eagle Rock Entertainment last year as CEO and she will now run the new division, which will produce music-based factual, scripted and audio series.

The new division will subsume Eagle Rock Entertainment, which is responsible for titles such as Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool and ZZ Top doc That Little Ol’ Band from Texas.

Mercury Studios will have offices in London and Los Angeles.

Webb said, “Music is a passion – it touches every part of our lives, which is why Mercury Studios is such an exciting proposition. We are unique – bringing together expertise from across music, film and television in factual, scripted, premium audio, performance and so much more. We can offer creators a vibrant space to realise the projects they are truly passionate about, tapping into the wealth of expertise we have access to. We are also keen to welcome new blood: talented, ambitious people who want to make distinctive, relevant content with music at its heart.”

David Joseph, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK, added, “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. 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.”

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