A trove of historic TV performances by The Supremes, The Jackson 5, The Beach Boys and others on “The Ed Sullivan Show” will be made available around the world starting on Friday under a deal to bring the program’s large archive to online streaming.
Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), a unit of Vivendi’s Universal Music Group, purchased global digital rights to the long-running U.S. variety show and will offer full-length performances for viewing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” YouTube channel and EdSullivan.com.
Sullivan’s show aired on Sunday nights on CBS from 1948 to 1971. The host welcomed established and up-and-coming entertainers, comedians, athletes, dancers and others. Sullivan, who was a newspaper reporter and columnist before becoming a TV pioneer, died in 1974.
In the past, only short clips of some performances were available online through official channels, along with unauthorized low-resolution videos.
Read more at Reuters.