At the time of his death last June, Michael Jackson was reportedly deeply in debt and had agreed to sign on for an unprecedented 50-date run at the O2 arena in London, as a means of turning his financial fortunes around.
But thanks to a flurry of merchandising deals and a flood of nostalgia-fueled 음악 sales, his estate has generated nearly $1 billion in the past year,Billboard reports via Reuters.
Billboard broke down the 출처 of that windfall, determining that nearly half of it came from the robust 음악 sales following the singer's shock death on June 25, 2009. Jackson has sold 9 million albums in the U.S. and 24 million around the globe since his death, along with around 800,000 copies of albums 의해 the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. Assuming a worldwide retail sales price of $11.62 per unit, the magazine estimated that the Jackson catalog brought in about $383 million in sales.
Add in 12.9 million track downloads in the U.S. over the past year, along with 26.5 million in international downloads, and 당신 have another $34 million. Then there's about 1.5 million in ringtone sales in America, another 3 million globally for another $5 million, as well as $2 million from digital performance royalties from 음악 subscription services and $4.5 million from global digital performances for a 음악 total of $429 million.
The 초 biggest 출처 of revenue was TV and movie projects, led 의해 the "Michael Jackson: This Is It" documentary about the singer's final rehearsals for his planned 런던 shows. Sony Pictures paid $60 million for the rights to the film, which earned $72 million at the box office to become the highest-grossing 음악회, 콘서트 film ever. It earned an additional $188 million overseas, while the DVD of the film raked in $43 million in the U.S., as well as $24 million in rental income. It earned $18 million just in 일본 on the first 일 of release and another $7 million in Blu-Ray sales.
Billboard also speculated that the sales of the TV rights to "This Is It" to Viacom (the parent company of MTV) may have generated an additional $15 million, and licensing fees for nontheatrical performances (airplanes, cruise ships, hotels) could bring in around $24 million.
One of Jackson's traditional cash cows, his 음악 publishing rights, was another lucrative 출처 of income, taking in nearly $130 million. The singer's Mijac publishing company — with an estimated value of $75 million in 2005 — has a current value of around $150 million, generating around $25 million a 년 in revenue, with that number possibly doubling to $50 million in the past year. Jackson's half ownership of the lucrative Sony/ATV catalog could be worth as much as an additional $80 million a year.
The executors of Jackson's estate have cut a series of deals over the past year, resulting in around $35 million in additional revenue. Because many 팬 declined to return their tickets to the 런던 This Is It shows, preferring to retain them as keepsakes, those tickets were worth $6.5 million, along with around $5 million in 음악회, 콘서트 merchandise sales; a 초 deal with merchandise maker Bravado cut in August reportedly included a $10 million advance. A Jackson memorabilia exhibit in 일본 has earned $3.5 million. And additional licensing royalties and retail sales could have rolled up $10 million 또는 더 많이 for the estate.
It is not known how much game-maker Ubisoft paid to license Jackson's image for an upcoming video game 또는 what potential revenues could be from a pair of upcoming Jackson-themed Cirque du Soleil shows.
Finally, even in death Jackson has one of the most lucrative recording contracts around. Sony 음악 Entertainment cut a deal in March with the estate to release 10 Jackson albums through 2017. From a collection of previously unreleased Jackson songs due in November to reissues of such landmark albums as 1979's solo debut, Off the Wall, the estate is guaranteed between $200 and $250 million for the Sony pact. Though none of the albums have been released yet, if just one of the contract's eight years comes off as planned, it could add $31 million to the estate's coffers.
Celebrate Michael Jackson's legacy all week long as 엠티비 News looks back at his life, his 음악 and the death that shook the world one 년 ago.
But thanks to a flurry of merchandising deals and a flood of nostalgia-fueled 음악 sales, his estate has generated nearly $1 billion in the past year,Billboard reports via Reuters.
Billboard broke down the 출처 of that windfall, determining that nearly half of it came from the robust 음악 sales following the singer's shock death on June 25, 2009. Jackson has sold 9 million albums in the U.S. and 24 million around the globe since his death, along with around 800,000 copies of albums 의해 the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. Assuming a worldwide retail sales price of $11.62 per unit, the magazine estimated that the Jackson catalog brought in about $383 million in sales.
Add in 12.9 million track downloads in the U.S. over the past year, along with 26.5 million in international downloads, and 당신 have another $34 million. Then there's about 1.5 million in ringtone sales in America, another 3 million globally for another $5 million, as well as $2 million from digital performance royalties from 음악 subscription services and $4.5 million from global digital performances for a 음악 total of $429 million.
The 초 biggest 출처 of revenue was TV and movie projects, led 의해 the "Michael Jackson: This Is It" documentary about the singer's final rehearsals for his planned 런던 shows. Sony Pictures paid $60 million for the rights to the film, which earned $72 million at the box office to become the highest-grossing 음악회, 콘서트 film ever. It earned an additional $188 million overseas, while the DVD of the film raked in $43 million in the U.S., as well as $24 million in rental income. It earned $18 million just in 일본 on the first 일 of release and another $7 million in Blu-Ray sales.
Billboard also speculated that the sales of the TV rights to "This Is It" to Viacom (the parent company of MTV) may have generated an additional $15 million, and licensing fees for nontheatrical performances (airplanes, cruise ships, hotels) could bring in around $24 million.
One of Jackson's traditional cash cows, his 음악 publishing rights, was another lucrative 출처 of income, taking in nearly $130 million. The singer's Mijac publishing company — with an estimated value of $75 million in 2005 — has a current value of around $150 million, generating around $25 million a 년 in revenue, with that number possibly doubling to $50 million in the past year. Jackson's half ownership of the lucrative Sony/ATV catalog could be worth as much as an additional $80 million a year.
The executors of Jackson's estate have cut a series of deals over the past year, resulting in around $35 million in additional revenue. Because many 팬 declined to return their tickets to the 런던 This Is It shows, preferring to retain them as keepsakes, those tickets were worth $6.5 million, along with around $5 million in 음악회, 콘서트 merchandise sales; a 초 deal with merchandise maker Bravado cut in August reportedly included a $10 million advance. A Jackson memorabilia exhibit in 일본 has earned $3.5 million. And additional licensing royalties and retail sales could have rolled up $10 million 또는 더 많이 for the estate.
It is not known how much game-maker Ubisoft paid to license Jackson's image for an upcoming video game 또는 what potential revenues could be from a pair of upcoming Jackson-themed Cirque du Soleil shows.
Finally, even in death Jackson has one of the most lucrative recording contracts around. Sony 음악 Entertainment cut a deal in March with the estate to release 10 Jackson albums through 2017. From a collection of previously unreleased Jackson songs due in November to reissues of such landmark albums as 1979's solo debut, Off the Wall, the estate is guaranteed between $200 and $250 million for the Sony pact. Though none of the albums have been released yet, if just one of the contract's eight years comes off as planned, it could add $31 million to the estate's coffers.
Celebrate Michael Jackson's legacy all week long as 엠티비 News looks back at his life, his 음악 and the death that shook the world one 년 ago.
Girlfriend
I'm gonna tell your boyfriend (yeah)
Tell him (woo hoo)
Exactly what we're doin' (yeah)
Tell him what 당신 do to me
Late at night when the wind is free
Girlfriend
I'm gonna show your boyfriend (yeah)
Show him (woo hoo)
The letters I've been savin' (yeah)
Show him how 당신 feel inside
An' how 사랑 could not be denied (oh no)
We're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Do-doot-do, etc.
Girlfriend
당신 better tell your boyfriend (yeah)
Tell him (woo hoo)
Exactly what we're doin' (yeah)
Tell him what he needs to know
또는 he may never let 당신 go
Yeah we're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Do-doot-do ...... ad lib to fade
I'm gonna tell your boyfriend (yeah)
Tell him (woo hoo)
Exactly what we're doin' (yeah)
Tell him what 당신 do to me
Late at night when the wind is free
Girlfriend
I'm gonna show your boyfriend (yeah)
Show him (woo hoo)
The letters I've been savin' (yeah)
Show him how 당신 feel inside
An' how 사랑 could not be denied (oh no)
We're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Do-doot-do, etc.
Girlfriend
당신 better tell your boyfriend (yeah)
Tell him (woo hoo)
Exactly what we're doin' (yeah)
Tell him what he needs to know
또는 he may never let 당신 go
Yeah we're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Do-doot-do ...... ad lib to fade
All 당신 gotta do is just walk away and pass me 의해
Don't acknowledge my smile when I try to say hello to you, yeah
And all 당신 gotta do is not answer my calls when
I'm trying to get through
To keep me wondering why, when all I can do is sigh
I just wanna touch 당신
Chorus
I just wanna touch and 키스
And I wish that I could be with 당신 tonight
당신 give me 나비 inside, inside and I
All I gotta say is that I must be dreaming, can't be real
You're not here with me, still I can feel 당신 near me
I caress you, let 당신 taste us, just so blissful listen
I would give 당신 anything baby, just make my dreams come true
Oh baby 당신 give me 나비
Chorus x 2
If 당신 would take my hand, baby I would show 당신
Guide 당신 to the light babe
If 당신 would be my love, baby I will 사랑 you, 사랑 당신
'Till the end of time
Chorus x 3
Don't acknowledge my smile when I try to say hello to you, yeah
And all 당신 gotta do is not answer my calls when
I'm trying to get through
To keep me wondering why, when all I can do is sigh
I just wanna touch 당신
Chorus
I just wanna touch and 키스
And I wish that I could be with 당신 tonight
당신 give me 나비 inside, inside and I
All I gotta say is that I must be dreaming, can't be real
You're not here with me, still I can feel 당신 near me
I caress you, let 당신 taste us, just so blissful listen
I would give 당신 anything baby, just make my dreams come true
Oh baby 당신 give me 나비
Chorus x 2
If 당신 would take my hand, baby I would show 당신
Guide 당신 to the light babe
If 당신 would be my love, baby I will 사랑 you, 사랑 당신
'Till the end of time
Chorus x 3