Year: 2023

Simon Cowell has thrown his support behind new streaming platform Lounges.tv, designed to support emerging and upcoming talent

Simon Cowell has thrown his support behind new streaming platformLounges.tv, designed to support emerging and upcoming talent.

The brains behind the wildly-successful Got Talent and X Factor franchises, has voiced his ‘pride’ at collaborating with the platform, which helps provide opportunities for new and burgeoning talents in entertainment.

Cowell, who discovered some of the biggest names in music – from One Direction, Camila Cabello, Leona Lewis, to Labrinth – has joined forces to help creators get heard, earn money and take their careers to the next level.

Simon says: ‘I am proud to be involved with and to support Lounges.tv. You never know where the next great talent will emerge from and I really believe that creating as many opportunities as possible for talent to be discovered and to build their own fan bases is great for everyone’.

Lounges.tv provides a faster new way for content creators to monetise their content online, ensuring content creators get to keep 80% of all their streaming income, and are paid within 24 hours of going live.

The platform offers a sanctuary for content creators – including musicians, comedians and fitness trainers – that rises above the noise, ensuring exceptional talent receives the recognition it deserves.

Lounges.tv offers a faster way for content creators to monetize their work online. Creators retain 80% of all their streaming income and receive payment within 24 hours of going live

Cowell adds: ‘The artists and the audience, rightly, are making 100% of the decisions and Lounges.tv is giving talent another new type of platform to promote themselves.

‘I was really interested to learn that on Lounges.tv creators get paid within 24 hours and I thought that was a really good idea and hopefully will make a difference.’

Cowell, who discovered some of the biggest names in music – from One Direction, Camila Cabello, Leona Lewis, to Labrinth – has joined forces to help creators get heard, earn money and take their careers to the next level

The ad-free platform is also backed by iconic musician Prince’s former manager Kiran Sharma and BBC iPlayer founder Ben Lavender.

Among the creators using the platform is violinist and composer Hannah Woolmer, who is one of the many creators excited to hear that Cowell is backing the platform.

She says: ‘I think Simon Cowell’s business decisions and his authority in music is really impressive, so if he is backing Lounges.tv, he must see the legitimacy of the platform and the power it has to unearth new talent.’

Woolmer, who is in her 30s and from Thurrock, Essex, says using Lounges.tv has helped her tap into a global fanbase that she would otherwise not have been able to access.

And like every other performer on the platform, she receives 80% of her streaming income within 24 hours of going live, which has helped her earn about £10,000 since she joined Lounges.tv in January and began streaming full time in May.

Hannah, who has composed and performed music for movies, typically live streams three gigs a week and charges between £1.50 and £3 per show.

Violinist and composer Hannah Woolmer, who is in her 30s and from Thurrock, Essex, has been streaming on the Lounges.tv platform since January

Hannah, who has composed and performed music for movies, typically live streams three gigs a week and charges between £1.50 and £3 per show

She said: ‘Lounges.tv allows me to perform to fans of my music who may otherwise not be able to hear my music or see me live.

‘Since the pandemic, there was a huge drive to online concerts and it helped me see that online streamed concerts are a legitimate and a new way to enjoy art. It’s a movement, just like when radio or TV started.

‘The platform offers the highest quality way to stream my music, with a free dedicated streaming space including professional cameras, a green screen, audio and a sound and stream engineer onhand.’

Hannah says using Lounges.tv has helped her tap into a global fanbase that she would otherwise not have been able to access

With thousands of hours of on-demand content readily available, the platform is designed to create a direct interaction between creators, influencers, brands, and their audience.

It also offers a real-time fan engagement experience during live streams, creating the ambiance of a live concert, allowing viewers to interact with creators through live chat, song requests, and a tipping revenue model for creators.

The feature addresses a long-standing issue in the industry, providing financial stability to content creators, as well as a sense of community and helping creators build a dedicated fan base.

Scott Green founded Lounges.tv, the creator-first platform where fans can discover, interact and support the content creators they love

Scott Green, Lounges.tv Co-Founder and CEO, says: ‘We are thrilled to announce Simon Cowell as a shareholder of Lounges.tv. Simon is the undisputed global authority when it comes to talent recognition in this country and aligns perfectly with what our platform represents.

‘Lounges.tv serves as the haven for exclusive content, where exceptional creators shine amidst the noise, garnering the recognition they truly deserve.’

The 48-year-old from North London adds: ‘Creators and artists now have the opportunity to not only showcase their talent but also earn a fair income while pursuing their passion.

‘By eliminating the reliance on ads and introducing diverse fan funding options, our platform departs from the conventional ad-centric model that values creators solely based on ad views and follower count, rather than their genuine talent. Together with Simon, Lounges.tv will be shaping the world of online talent.’

Lounges.tv is the creator-first platform where fans can discover, interact and support the content creators they love. For more information, sign up now at lounges.tv/

David Raya’s punch nearly cost Arsenal in their Champions League win over Sevilla (PA)

Thierry Henry admits he got ‘a little bit scared’ by David Raya’s goalkeeping in the closing stages of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Raya’s shaky performances have come under scrutiny ever since Mikel Arteta installed the on-loan Brentford goalkeeper as his first choice ahead of Aaron Ramsdale last month.

Despite receiving criticism after his mistakes in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea, Raya kept his place for Arsenal’s trip to Sevilla but showed signs of nerves in injury time when he attempted to punch clear Juanlu Sanchez’s cross but got it wrong and the ball span narrowly over his own goal.

Henry was critical of Arsenal allowing too many crosses into their box in the closing moments and concedes Arteta’s side ‘got lucky’ after another show of questionable goalkeeping from Raya.

When reviewing footage of Raya’s punch in the closing stages, Henry said on CBS Sports: ‘Is it a save? I mean, I stopped breathing for a little while.

‘That’s how it was in the last five, six minutes which I can understand away from home, we talked about it off air that it’s a tough place to go and win or play Sevilla,

‘I just thought at times we were inviting too many crosses and when I saw Raya coming to save that I got a bit scared but we got our luck this time, we got lucky.’

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Meanwhile, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has called the situation between Raya and Ramsdale a ‘pantomime’, while Michael Owen was critical of the Spaniard’s display against Sevilla.

‘Listen, all eyes are on Raya at the moment. If you’re keeping clean sheets all the time no-one says anything,’ Owen told TNT Sports.

‘But because of what’s happened in the past, every single thing he does we end up scrutinising and saying, “Ooh would Ramsdale have done that?” and, “Ooh should they be playing out in that situation?”

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‘He came for a cross, he went to punch it, he miscued it a little bit and it nearly spun into his own goal.

‘He had a couple of little mistakes in the first half as well trying to play out.

‘But at the end of the day we’re nit-picking and that is a cracking result for Arsenal. I think they’d have been happy coming away not getting beat tonight, but to get the three points puts them in a really strong position now.’

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