
Despite shaking up the world less than a year ago with his untimely death, it appears Michael Jackson will remain even more relevant for generations to come -- he's also making history in the process.
This week, the King of Pop's estate brokered a record setting recording deal with Sony Music Entertainment that is estimated to be worth up to $250 million -- the biggest known to date.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the seven year multi-million dollar will include DVDs, video games, and previously unreleased material which could potentially result into 10 new albums.
Sony label heads are 'Workin' Day and Night' to solidify Jackson's image across various "multimedia platforms" over the next several years.
"It's not just a record deal," says chairman of Columbia Epic Records, Rob Stringer. "We're not just basing this on how many CDs we sell or how many downloads. There are also audio rights for theater, movies, computer games."
"I don't know how an audio soundtrack will be used in 2017, but you've got to bet on Michael Jackson in any new platform."
Let's not forget the making of Jackson's landmark Epic Records debut 'Off the Wall.' Although the 1979 opus was re-released in 2001 accompanied with song demos, Sony is planning to reissue the opus again next year packaged with a backlog of video footage.
"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," he continued.
Since his June 2009 death, Jackson's music catalog has kept retailers busy replenishing their shelves with his timeless hits.
The New York Times reports the Grammy Award-winner has sold 8.3 million combined album sales and 12.4 million downloads of single tracks in America, making him the biggest-selling artist of 2009 in the United States.
The increase in sales place him ahead of Elvis Presley and John Lennon at #3 on Forbes magazine's recent Top-Earning Dead Celebrities listing, netting $90 million.
The first of Jackson's posthumously Sony recordings, 'This Is It' soundtrack, was released in Oct. The label plans to release a new project of unreleased music this November.


Comments: (12)
Add a comment
By: mzlisa on 3/19/2010 8:57AM
I believe the family deserves more than that, especially when you consider that just a few years ago it was reported that if he went on tour and sang his old tracks he'd make nearly a billion dollars. 250 mil seems like a drop in a bucket compared to that.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: cyurutihs76 on 3/22/2010 2:25AM
I am sure there are more deals to come other than Sony.The Jackson Five, The Jacksons, Michael Jackson and any other names the family went under will come to light soon in some kind of contract(s). I'm sure that his estate can put out M.J.material. To bad they cannot get together to build a road to Neverland and do an Elvis type deal. A little history, the Jackson 5 has a cartoon,endless past magazine coverage, pay to sample M.J.'s music etc. Simple.There is endless material to put out to the public.
Report This
By: marvin on 3/19/2010 9:03PM
how much do you think jermane and latorya will try to get from it.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: GERI on 3/21/2010 8:29AM
I wonder if they thought Michael was worth more dead, then alive....250 million is a drop in the bucket...that's just the figure they want us to believe...His estate will be worth way more then that when it's all said and done..and they know/knew it...I smelled a rat June 25th,2009 and I still smell one!!!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Chris on 3/21/2010 11:02AM
To me it sounds like its the same deal that Michael had before he had his own record deal. He did all the work and his estate took advantage of the money.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: AM Hood on 3/21/2010 3:00PM
People are getting tired ?overwhelmed with all the MJ hype. Give the man a break and let him rest in peace. These people are vultures. I for one am tired of all these vultures feeding off of his death.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Rose on 3/21/2010 4:50PM
That's the way it is when they are in the lime light and with someone as big as MJ was it will be no stoping.
Report This
By: chester coke on 3/21/2010 4:13PM
he is going to worth a lot more as years goes by why, because he his the greatest entertainer up to now. even if you dont like micheal as a person you have to respect is talent, is inspiration and his love for people, irrespective of colour,or nationality. man in the mirror, black or white, we are the world.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Rose on 3/21/2010 4:53PM
I can see no reason why someone would not like him as a person.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Cheryl on 4/26/2010 6:30AM
We do not know Michael Jackson other than what we see on tv or hear from him through his music or read in the media.We have heard or seen few who have said positive things about Michael because the media does not want to show these people, but anyone on this earth who has heard his music, seen him in sold out concerts,or seen his videos knows he's superstar talented.
Report This