Pink Floyd Reach Deal With Sony To Sell Music Catalog For $400 Million – Report.
Pink Floyd has reportedly reached a deal with Sony to sell their music catalog, as well as their name and likeness, for around $400 million.
The British rock band has agreed to sell the rights to their recorded music catalog, their name and their likeness, but not their songwriting rights, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the deal on Tuesday, citing two people familiar with the matter. About the matter.
The deal, described by Variety on Wednesday as “the biggest of many in recent years,” comes after years of reported bickering and infighting among the surviving band members over details of the sale, as well as controversial comments from band assistants. -founder and bassist, Roger Waters, which also complicated the deal process.
Last month, Variety reported that Pink Floyd and Sony were working on a deal.
As of Wednesday morning, Sony had not released a statement or responded to a comment on the reported deal, according to the Financial Times. The band's guitarist David Gilmour also did not respond to requests for comment, and Waters could not be reached.
In 2022, Variety reported that Pink Floyd was looking to sell their recorded music and other assets for $500 million. Sources told the outlet that some potential buyers were put off after a 2022 interview with Waters in Rolling Stone, in which he made controversial comments about Israel, Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
Among the statements, Waters said that Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine was “unprovoked.” Russia invited Waters to address the UN Security Council in early 2023, where he repeated the claim.
Four sources claimed to Variety in March 2023 that the band's $500m catalog rights sale was “basically dead” due to infighting among the surviving band members. However, sources close to the band at the time denied the claim.
Later that year, Waters was investigated by Berlin police for wearing a Nazi-style uniform at a concert there. That same year, he won a legal battle that allowed him to perform a concert in Frankfurt, Germany, after the city tried to cancel the show amid accusations of anti-Semitism.
The city called Waters “one of the world's most notorious antisemites” and reportedly objected to his concerts because previous tours featured a pig-shaped balloon depicting the Star of David and various company logos as part of the stage show.
Waters has always denied accusations of anti-Semitism.
In early 2024, it was reported that Waters had been dropped as a solo artist by music rights company BMG, which had signed a contract with the musician in 2016, for his comments about Israel, Ukraine and the United States.
According to Variety, Pink Floyd's recorded music catalog is the most valuable in contemporary music. The band's most famous albums include The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and more.
In the past few years, other high-profile artists including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and others have sold their music catalogs to various music labels. Earlier this year, it was reported that Sony was in talks to buy Queen's catalog.