Sabate Secures Majority of Music Rights Spanish six‑time champion Tomàs‑Llorenç Guarino Sabaté received official approval for three of the four tracks in his Minions short program on Feb 5, confirming they satisfy the ISU ClicknClear requirements. The only remaining piece is Pharrell Williams’ “Freedom,” which Universal’s label has placed technical restrictions on, leaving its clearance unresolved. The short program is slated for Feb 10 at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, giving Sabaté only a few days to resolve the final hurdle [1].

Fan‑Driven Campaign Prompted Universal Reversal After a social‑media outcry, Sabaté posted on Instagram thanking supporters whose shares “forced” Universal Studios to grant the Minions medley rights earlier this week. Both WBNS and King5 reported that the studio’s decision came just days after the skater learned the track had been blocked, turning a potential program cancellation into a clearance win. The reversal applies only to the Minions medley; the other two program pieces still await separate approvals [2][3].

Bee Gees Medley Serves as Potential Fallback If the “Freedom” track remains unapproved, Sabaté plans to revert to the Bee Gees medley he used for his free skate, which would result in identical music for both segments. Earlier reports from Feb 2 and Feb 3 indicated that without a backup, the skater would face an “awkward” duplicate‑music scenario, a rarity at the Olympics. The contingency underscores how tightly timed music clearances are for athletes with programs finalized months in advance [2][5][6].

Other Competitors Face Parallel Rights Obstacles Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx had to replace a Celine Dion song after clearance concerns, while U.S. skater Alyssa Liu’s planned Lady Gaga “Bloody Mary” free skate remains doubtful due to unavailable orchestral rights. The 2022 lawsuit against American pair Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier for an unlicensed “House of the Rising Sun” track has heightened scrutiny across federations. These cases illustrate a broader pattern of athletes navigating complex multi‑holder licensing before the Games [1][4][5][6].

ISU Initiates Direct Talks With Labels ISU President Jae Youl Kim announced that the federation will engage directly with major record labels to simplify the clearance process for young athletes. He acknowledged the “confusing and nebulous” nature of the ClicknClear platform, which, while helpful, does not guarantee worldwide approval. The federation’s collaboration with rights stakeholders aims to prevent last‑minute program changes like Sabaté’s [1][4][5][6].