Timbaland & Swizz Beatz Ink ‘Verzuz’ Deal With Elon Musk’s X

After regaining control of Verzuz last year, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz just made a major move that’s got people talking. They have partnered with Elon Musk on a new distribution…

Kayla Morgan

Updated Jun 20, 2024 2:22 PM EDT

(Left) Swizz Beatz and Timbaland attend The Dean Collection X BACARDI Untameable House Party (Right) Elon Musk attends the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Photo by Frazer Harrison/ Kevin Winter/Getty Images

After regaining control of Verzuz last year, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz just made a major move that’s got people talking. They have partnered with Elon Musk on a new distribution deal. The announcement was made during the Cannes Lions conference in France on Wednesday (June 19).

Timbaland and Swizz Beats made the announcement on the Verzuz Instagram page with the caption “LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!!! IT’S OFFICIAL, #VERZUZ IS BACK AND 100% BLACK OWNED AGAIN [lightning emoji] LET’S GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT’S BEEN MISSING !!!” They continued, “WE WILL ALSO BE BUILDING NEW ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES ON THE X PLATFORM !!” They then asked, who should be the first to kick off the show?

Details about Verzuz and X partnership

Variety reported that under the new deal, the pair maintain their full ownership and creative control of the platform while X receives exclusive distribution rights. The company estimates it will now broadcast to an audience of over 550 million active users, expanding its viewership and international reach. Viewers will now be able to watch for free exclusively on X.

The Associated Press reported Swizz Beatz said he’s looking forward to the new chapter for Verzuz, which became popular during the coronavirus pandemic. “Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world,” he said in a statement before he thanked several X executives including owner Elon Musk for believing in their vision. “We can’t wait to get back to work.”

In 2021, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland merged Verzuz in a deal with Triller, following which they became shareholders. However, trouble arose when they filed a $28 million lawsuit against the company the following year.

Both artists claimed that the video-sharing service failed to hold up the financial end of their pact. Court documents obtained regarding the matter show that Triller defaulted on the agreement after just two payments. Though the producers settled with them soon after, the company allegedly failed to pay the full balance.

Kayla MorganWriter

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.