iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) announced today that Gabe Fleet has been named Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Music Licensing Counsel, effective January 11, 2021.Â
In his new role, Fleet will lead iHeartMedia’s Business Affairs team and focus on strategic deals and relationships with the company’s music and entertainment partners and be responsible for business and legal affairs across the company’s divisions, multiplatform assets and tentpole events. In addition, Fleet will spearhead the company’s music licensing strategy, including maintaining and renewing all music industry licenses for iHeartRadio’s digital services and performance licenses through PRO agencies.
“Gabe’s in-depth knowledge, creativity and extensive deal-making experience across a variety of platforms make him a natural fit to lead iHeartMedia’s Business Affairs team,” said Paul McNicol, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of iHeartMedia, Inc. “Our relationship with the music and entertainment industries is an integral part of our business and having Gabe in this essential position will ensure we continue to create unique partnerships and opportunities that will leverage iHeartMedia’s position as the leading audio company in the U.S.”
“iHeartMedia is uniquely positioned at the forefront of music, podcasting, digital media, live events, television, innovative brand campaigns and so much more,” said Fleet. “I’m excited by the opportunity to apply my dealmaking experience across a wide array of entertainment industry contexts to help create new opportunities that cut across various channels to reach the company’s unparalleled audience.”Â
Fleet brings more than a decade of legal and music industry experience to his new role. He joins iHeartMedia from his role as a partner at the Greenberg Traurig law firm, where he focused on music licensing, original content and branded entertainment creation and distribution across multiple platforms, and various intellectual property, technology and regulatory compliance matters.
At Greenberg Traurig, Fleet’s responsibilities included negotiating content license agreements and other complex transactions with record companies, music publishers, performing rights organizations and other rightsholders, as well as providing strategic counseling to companies across the music, entertainment and digital media industries. A graduate of the University of Georgia and Vanderbilt University School of Law, he’s also served as an artist manager and professional drummer.
