Monday announced a seven-year distribution deal for as many as 10 new
Jackson projects, including unreleased recordings, DVDs and perhaps
even video games, valued at as much as
“We and
described the deal as a landmark for the recording industry. “The audio
rights span across different projects,” Stringer said. “There may be
theater. There may be films and movies. There may be computer games —
or multimedia platforms that I don’t know about today that will happen
in 2015.”
Jackson died in
Monday’s deal eclipses such agreements as
Although
enters into the new agreement at a time of plummeting album sales and
widespread music industry contraction, sales of so-called “legacy acts”
and Jackson’s in particular, suggest the potential upside of the
agreement. In the nine months since Jackson’s death, more than 31
million of his albums have been sold worldwide (with two-thirds
occurring overseas), according to a source with knowledge of Jackson’s
financial dealings who insisted on anonymity because he was not
authorized to speak publicly.
Those sales and recent licensing deals have brought in close to
to the estate — easing a substantial portion of the nearly half-billion
dollars in debt Jackson owed to financial institutions at the time of
his death.
The Elvis Presley estate takes in between
copies in its first week of release, according to Billboard magazine.
And in addition to several recent re-releases and repackaging of the singer’s CDs and movies,
in 2008 to explore projects including a restaurant chain, a
Sinatra-themed casino and the use of Sinatra’s image to market luxury
goods.
The Beatles continue to thrive in the marketplace four decades after their breakup and despite the deaths of two members,
More than 60 million Beatles albums have been sold domestically since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking retail sales in 1991.
“If you look at Elvis and the Beatles, and how their
brands are thriving, they only hint at what the future holds for
Michael,” Branca said.
estate already have plans in place for a reissue of Jackson’s
multiplatinum selling 1979 album “Off the Wall” next year that will
contain a trove of new, exclusive material.
“The stuff we have in the vaults around that record
is fascinating and remarkable,” Stringer said. “We’re going to build a
whole platform with a documentary. The outtakes are fantastic! We have
a lot of great stuff from around every time period (in Jackson’s
career). We’re plowing through everything now to understand what we’ve
got.”
Jackson estate co-executor
2001 album “Invincible” — also is spearheading the selection of an
album of previously unreleased material that could hit shelves late
this year.
“
over 60 unreleased recordings that they’re choosing from,” Branca said.
“The first album will have around 10. There’s some very recent stuff
and vintage stuff that deserves to be shared with Michael’s fans.”
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