After years of fan outcry, Sony has reportedly made a deal with artist Paula Cole to restore "I Don't Want to Wait" as the theme song to Dawson's Creek on all streaming platforms.
The deal between the two parties was reported by The NYT and explained that Cole recorded a new master of the iconic theme song and negotiated a contract for streaming use.
Fans will recall that Cole's "I Don't Want to Wait" served as the theme song for all six seasons of Dawson's Creek when it aired on The WB. However, the theme song was replaced with Jann Arden's "Run Like Mad" when the series hit streaming platforms, due to a short-term licensing deal that ensured the series could only use the song for five years.
This has been the case with many television shows that aired pre-streaming and pre-DVD box sets, as it wasn't common practice (or budgeted for) then by music supervisors on television shows to obtain in-perpetuity licenses for songs due to their high expense.
Since Dawson's Creek arrived on streaming, fans have been putting pressure on Sony to revive the theme song. Cole stated, "People really care and are really upset about it. They tag me in every post -- so much tagging on the socials, fans tagging Netflix and Sony. It's prolific."
While Sony has yet to confirm or deny this report, Cole teased that the song will soon be restored as the show's theme on streaming services. "It's wonderful to have waited this out," the musician said. "I feel like it's not just vindication for me, but for the fans, and for all artists."
Cole is set to release her 11th studio album, American Quilt, on May 21. The remastered version of "I Don't Want to Wait" will be featured on American Quilt.
Dawson's Creek debuted in 1998 and was created by Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson. The classic teen drama series centered on teenagers Joey, Pacey, Dawson, Jen and Jack as they navigated high school life in Capeside and followed them through their differing paths of adulthood. Notably, the series focused on the lead's romantic troubles but also covered their first encounters with difficult topics such as death, divorce, alcoholism, coming out as gay and unexpected pregnancies.
Dawson's Creek, created by Kevin Williamson, stars James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams. All six seasons are streaming now on Netflix.
Source: NYT