In 2022, Primary Wave entered a new era of global scale and long-term capital growth through a landmark strategic minority investment from Brookfield Asset Management of approximately $2 billion. The transaction created a long-term music rights capital vehicle and included a minority stake in Primary Wave, significantly expanding the company’s acquisition capacity and global reach.
As part of the transaction, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) joined as a strategic partner and minority investor, bringing its film, television, theatrical, and branding divisions into alignment with Primary Wave’s catalog marketing and content initiatives — further strengthening the company’s ability to activate copyrights across entertainment platforms worldwide.
That same year, the Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody — produced by TriStar Pictures and co-executive produced by Primary Wave — was released theatrically on a global scale, introducing her story and music to a new generation of audiences.
Primary Wave continued its aggressive catalog growth strategy in 2022, completing partnerships and acquisitions with an exceptional group of artists and songwriters including Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke of Bad Company and Free, Joey Ramone, Regent Music and Jewel Music, Even Stevens, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Tom Whitlock, Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill, Huey Lewis, Henry Mancini, Layne Staley and Mike Starr of Alice in Chains, Brian Wilson, Martina McBride, and an interest in the Traveling Wilburys catalog featuring Bob Dylan and fellow legendary collaborators.
In a notable pop culture moment, Primary Wave was referenced as part of a “Musicians Selling Music” clue on Jeopardy! on May 31, 2022 — a reflection of the growing mainstream awareness of music rights transactions.
Marketing & Branding Highlights:
Primary Wave continued to drive cultural and commercial relevance through innovative partnerships and media integrations, including:
- Launch of the Whitney Houston x Scent Beauty fragrance partnership.
- MAC Cosmetics limited-edition Whitney Houston collections.
- Peloton branded ride and festival integration for Thievery Corporation.
- KT Tunstall’s New Year’s Eve performance in Times Square, televised live.
- Valentine’s Day “Love Letters” EP collaboration between Air Supply and Edible Arrangements.
- Celebrated Sun Records 70th Anniversary with event at Gibson Guitars on October 26, 2022 with special guests including Jerry Philips, Paul Rodgers, Ian Hunter, Chris Isaak, amongst others.
- Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” featured in Nissan’s 2022 Super Bowl commercial.
- Bing Crosby’s “Winter Wonderland” activation launched within Decentraland, expanding into Web3 and virtual engagement.
Collectively, 2022 marked a defining year of expansion for Primary Wave — pairing large-scale institutional investment with global content releases, premier catalog acquisitions, and innovative brand activations across traditional and emerging platforms.