Queen’s music catalogue is arguably on of the most recognizable and beloved of all time, with countless hits like “We Are The Champions,” “Somebody To Love,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Now, there are reports that Sony is planning on purchasing it in a deal that is predicted to be the largest of its kind.
According to NME, this purchase would not just include the music itself. The deal would also give Sony control over merchandising and any other potential business opportunities.
Currently, there are four equal shareholders in Queen Productions Ltd. Three of those shareholders surviving band members, Brain May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. The last shareholder is the late Freddie Mercury’s estate. NME states that their reported revenues in 2022 were approximately $52 million.
NME reports that these discussions are still happening, and they might not even result in a deal being made. But even the idea is enough to spark conversation about what this deal would mean, since we’ve never seen anything quite like it before.
Sony has made countless deals of this nature. Back in 2022, they acquired Bob Dylan’s music catalogue for a reported $200 million, and they had just made a deal to purchase Bruce Springsteen’s music catalogue for an estimated $500 million in 2021. While both of those deals where large in nature, this reported purchase is likely to be the largest of it’s kind. Queen’s music catalogue is reported to be worth over $1 billion.