Big Hit Entertainment and Universal Music Group (UMG) have announced an expanded strategic partnership that will see the two companies work closely together to increase opportunities for artists through innovation and technology, while expanding the global reach of K-pop music and culture around the world.

“We are all incredibly excited about this joint venture project between Geffen Records and Big Hit,” says John Janick, chairman and chief executive officer, Interscope Geffen A&M. “This partnership offers both of us an incredible opportunity to work together helping to shape the future of music globally to the benefit of artists and fans alike.”

UMG artists will explore enhanced “direct to fan” communications through Big Hit’s Weverse, a dynamic community-based platform that allows loyal artist fans to engage, share and interact, see and hear new content and purchase new products. Weverse is already being utilized by UMG artists Gracie Abrams, New Hope Club and Alexander 23, with Yungblud among the next wave of talent joining Weverse in the coming months. This follows the announcement last week that UMG has become an equity investor alongside Big Hit, YG Entertainment and Kiswe in KBYK’s VenewLive premium live streaming platform.

Making the joint announcement today via KBYK’s VenewLive platform, the two companies also announced the details of a history-making project to assemble and debut a new global K-pop boy group together in the U.S. for the first time.

The new artist project will be released under a new JV label to be created between Big Hit, the global powerhouse team behind the phenomenal worldwide success of group BTS, in partnership with UMG’s Geffen Records.

“With their innovative approach to developing artists and embracing new technology, Big Hit has become one of the most dynamic companies in music entertainment,” says Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive officer, Universal Music Group. “We’re thrilled to be working together as we launch a new joint venture between our companies that will further accelerate K-pop as a global cultural phenomenon.”

The newly created label will operate from Los Angeles, Calif., and will work closely alongside teams from Big Hit America, Geffen Records and UMG to successfully launch this project.

Members of this new boy group will be selected through a global audition program, which is on track to begin airing in 2022 and will be launched in conjunction with a major U.S. media partner. The debuting global act will work based on the K-pop system – a full production that combines music, performance, fashion, music video and communications with fans.

“We will strive to secure competitive platform leadership and develop a top group of artists through the close partnership between our two companies, enabling K-pop to transcend all borders and languages,” says Lenzo Yoon, chief executive officer, global and business, Big Hit Entertainment. “This project is especially significant as it will apply Big Hit’s ‘success formula’ established over the past 16 years to the U.S., the center of the global music market.”

Big Hit will utilize its global expertise to lead the discovery, training and development of new artists, fan content production processes and management of fan communications through the Weverse platform. In addition to working closely with a U.S. media partner to produce the audition program, the team at Geffen Records will leverage their extensive industry network and partners to oversee the music production, marketing and global distribution operations.

“Our two companies indeed share values and visions in that we both pursue constant innovations and are committed to providing our fans with genuine music and content of the highest and uncompromising level of quality,” says Bang Si-Hyuk, chairman and chief executive officer, Big Hit Entertainment. “In this sense, I strongly believe that UMG and Big Hit will create a synergy that will rewrite the global music history.”