Kiss Sells Catalog, Name, Logo and Makeup Rights for $300 Million

[whiplash1972]

From http://www.ultimateclassicrock.com

Kiss Sells Catalog, Name, Logo and Makeup Rights for $300 Million
 

Kiss has sold their name, logo, image and likeness rights and their share of the band's music catalog and publishing to Pophouse Entertainment group, the company behind ABBA's popular live avatar show.

According to Fortune, the band is being paid over $300 million by the Swedish company, who plan to use the same technology to launch a Kiss avatar show in America.

"Kiss the touring band is over," bassist Gene Simmons said of the deal. "What Pophouse will do with our images, our music and our personas is unlike anything anyone has ever seen."

Billboard reports that the Kiss avatar show will open in an unspecified U.S. city in 2027. "We went to see the ABBA show and it blew our socks off," Simmons told the magazine. "And the technology since then has improved by leaps and bounds. We've seen sketches of what it will look like and we looked like the X-Men."

"We have a lot of plans for Kiss," Pophouse CEO Per Sundin added. "We want to keep to the legacy. We want to extend and amplify it for new generations." The deal also includes Kiss' share of the publishing and master recordings rights to the band's music catalog.

Kiss offered fans a sneak peak at their avatars during the the last show of their End of the Road farewell tour. At the conclusion of their Dec. 2, 2023 show at Madison Square Garden, oversized digital versions of the band were projected on video screens performing "God Gave Rock and Roll to You II."

Read More: Kiss Sells Catalog, Name, Logo and Makeup Rights for $300 Million | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-sells-catalog-name-logo-makeup

 

[Darkstone]

I dunno, I reckon $300 million sounds a bit low for all that.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Everybody is selling off their catalogue these days. And I agree, $300 mil seems a bit low. Considering how much Gene loves money. 

[Captain Howdy]

10 hours ago, Darkstone said:

I dunno, I reckon $300 million sounds a bit low for all that.

I agree. When you consider back in 2021 Motley Crue sold their catalog for $150mil, and that includes a lot less music, no rights to the name or image and no logo rights, $300mil seems like the bargain of a lifetime.

As much as I am a massive Crue fan, even I will admit that Kiss is a much bigger deal.

[Captain Howdy]

5 hours ago, KarpetRydOFunk said:

Everybody is selling off their catalogue these days. And I agree, $300 mil seems a bit low. Considering how much Gene loves money. 

Said this on FB, but I think when artists get to a certain age it makes sense for them to sell off their assets as they aint gonna be around that much longer. Yes they could transfer the rights to their offspring, but that means work for them and whose to say what their kids/grandkids would actually do with them. And much better to take the money and give that to them in your will anyway.

[gener8tr]

Feels like the very last nail in the coffin to me.

I'm a KISS fan dating back to the fall of 1978 when I started 5th. grade.  I've told my story a million times.  Kid came to school wearing the KISS logo belt-buckle.  I was hooked.  My mother started buying all the albums up to that point for me one at a time beginning with ALIVE II.  You couldn't find a more dedicated and loyal fan at the time.

But this????  This makes silly things like the KISS coffin pale in comparison... and that was embarrassing.  It really is simply all about the money with Gene and Paul.  Their legacy was tarnished long ago.  It's well beyond that now.  300 million?  I'm guessing Gene already has that amount in his savings account.  It's never enough for that guy. 

They've lost me.  Thanks for the memories. 

[tts42572]

2 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

Said this on FB, but I think when artists get to a certain age it makes sense for them to sell off their assets as they aint gonna be around that much longer. Yes they could transfer the rights to their offspring, but that means work for them and whose to say what their kids/grandkids would actually do with them. And much better to take the money and give that to them in your will anyway.

Agree.

They're about ready to hang it up.  To me, this is basically like George Lucas selling the rights of Star Wars to Disney.  Why not pocket the profits from what you created and have something more tangible to secure your future as well as your family?

Personally, though....That whole Avatar thing is bonkers to me and I don't ever see that working.  The day will probably come though when there are probably machines you can buy that project these avatars right in your own living room and you can watch your own personal concerts.  Heck, you'll probably be able to even pick your setlist lol.

Either way, kudos to them though for creating something so huge.  Yeah, it turned into being about the money but don't most of us work for the money lol? 

[whiplash1972]

I think most of us have read over the last few years how Paul & Gene were planning on putting 4 new guys in the make-up and sending them out on tour, thus keeping the Kiss name alive for generations to come. At the very least, I think I prefer what they've done here with Pophouse and the avatar idea to that. Who knows, with the visual effects they'll be able to pull off, it might actually be really entertaining taken for what it is, not a traditional rock concert, but simply a visual & musical experience.

[TheOriginalSplash]

Wow I'm really, really suprised they did this with all Pauls talk about where KISS goes from here and now they sell it off? MMMMMMMM??????........ Nikki got something like 150 Million for Motleys rights so not bad I guess.

Edited April 5 by TheOriginalSplash
added

[TheOriginalSplash]

5 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

I agree. When you consider back in 2021 Motley Crue sold their catalog for $150mil, and that includes a lot less music, no rights to the name or image and no logo rights, $300mil seems like the bargain of a lifetime.

As much as I am a massive Crue fan, even I will admit that Kiss is a much bigger deal.

OOPS, didn't see your post bud... But I think Motleys was a total sell off too..

Edited April 5 by TheOriginalSplash

[whiplash1972]

I’ve read in several places that Paul and Gene retained a percentage of ownership, and have final say on the presentation that Pophouse delivers, so that’s probably why we didn’t see a much bigger number. 💰

[Captain Howdy]

18 minutes ago, TheOriginalSplash said:

OOPS, didn't see your post bud... But I think Motleys was a total sell off too..

I don't believe so. All articles around the time just said the music catalogue. And let's not forget the whole recent debacle with Mick Mars over touring income comes down to the fact they still own the name.

[Doggy]

Ace will be now kicking himself after selling his shares to Gene.

[Captain Howdy]

Been reading up a bit more on this and there may actually be less in the sale than initially reported.

Most of Kiss' back catalogue is owned by Universal, with potentially only Monster and Sonic Boom being owned by the band. The Publishing rights were sold to another company a long time ago.

Pophouse though has said they will be working with Universal as they have the artists rights.

[TheOriginalSplash]

9 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

Been reading up a bit more on this and there may actually be less in the sale than initially reported.

Most of Kiss' back catalogue is owned by Universal, with potentially only Monster and Sonic Boom being owned by the band. The Publishing rights were sold to another company a long time ago.

Pophouse though has said they will be working with Universal as they have the artists rights.

Thanks for the info. bud.