Pink Floyd reaches deal with Sony to sell music catalog for $400 million – report | Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd has reportedly reached a deal with Sony to sell their music catalog and name and likeness for approximately $400 million.

The British rock band agreed to sell the rights to their music catalog, name and likeness, but not the rights to their songwriting, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the deal on Tuesday, citing two people known to be involved of the matter.

The deal, which Variety described Wednesday as “one of the largest of many in recent years,” comes after years of reported feuds and infighting between the surviving band members over the sale details, as well as controversial comments from bandmates – founder and bassist Roger Waters Also reportedly complicated the deal process.

Last month, Variety reported that Pink Floyd and Sony were working on a deal.

According to the Financial Times, Sony had not released a statement or responded to a comment on the reported deal as of Wednesday morning. David Gilmour, the band's guitarist, also did not respond to a request for comment and Waters could not be reached.

In 2022, Variety reported that Pink Floyd wanted to sell their recorded music and other assets for up to $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 other things, Waters said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was “not unprovoked.” Russia invited Waters to speak at the UN Security Council in early 2023, where he reiterated his claim.

Four sources claimed to Variety in March 2023 that the band's $500 million catalog sale of the rights was “essentially dead” due to conflicts between the surviving band members. But sources close to the band at the time disputed this claim.

Later that year, Berlin police investigated Waters over a Nazi-style uniform he wore to a concert there. That same year, he won a legal battle that allowed him to hold a concert in Frankfurt after the city tried to cancel the event amid accusations of anti-Semitism.

The city called Waters “one of the world's most notorious anti-Semites” and reportedly rejected his concert in part because a previous tour had featured a pig-shaped balloon with 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 was banned as a solo artist by music rights company BMG, which signed an agreement with the musician in 2016, because of his comments about Israel, Ukraine and the United States.

According to Variety, Pink Floyd's catalog of recorded music is one of the most valuable in contemporary music. The band's most well-known albums include The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and more.

In recent years, other high-profile artists including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and others have sold their music catalogs to various music labels. Earlier this year, it was reported that Sony was in talks to purchase the Queen catalog.