Kiss Cashes Out: Brand And Tunes Rocking In At $300m

Stockholm’s Pophouse Entertainment snagged the band’s brand, image, and intellectual property. The deal signifies the group’s exit from live shows during their End of the Road World Tour. Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen have also cashed in on their music legacies for jaw-dropping sums. Both icons sold their catalogs to major music players for a whopping $500m (£395m) and $450m (£355m) each.

While specifics of the Kiss deal remain undisclosed, it is believed to resemble that of British band Genesis, albeit less than the back catalogue sale of Michael Jackson’s work ($600m/£474m).

However, Pophouse will not only acquire the music rights but also the entire Kiss brand, encompassing intellectual property sales. This acquisition will enable the Swedish firm to generate future AI-generated content. Having previously collaborated with Kiss on a digital avatar project in December last year, the company also produced the Abba Voyage concerts based on a similar principle.

Founded in 1973 by lead singers Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, Kiss gained fame for their iconic face paint. The original lineup, which also included Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, became widely recognized for their distinctive appearance

During their peak in the 1970s, the band released popular songs like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “God of Thunder.”

In 1983, they made their first public appearance without their iconic face paint, experiencing a revival in popularity. This event was famously referred to as their “unmasking.” They later returned to wearing masks in the late 1990s.

‘Cooperative’

Over the past five decades, Kiss has sold approximately 100 million records.

In an interview with BBC World Business Report, Gene Simmons, often considered the business-savvy member of the band, discussed the financial aspect. While he refrained from specifying an exact amount, he hinted that it could be in the billions of dollars, though he acknowledged that such a claim would be exaggerated and “unfair.”

“We will be able to pay our rent, but for any amount of money we wouldn’t get into bed with the wrong folks,” he said.

“The best thing about this deal is who we’re doing the deal with, about the collaborative nature and about how we’ve met our newest best friends for the rest of our lives.”

‘Common goal’

Mr. Simmons, who served as the band’s bassist and vocalist alongside his co-founder and co-lead singer Paul Stanley, will remain actively engaged in the ongoing evolution of the brand and the creation of AI-generated content inspired by the band’s extensive repertoire. He likened the ongoing connection to that of a parent nurturing their child.

“A mother sees her child grow up and get married or stuff, but you’re never gonna get rid of the mom,” he said. “You can’t just hand it over to somebody, although we have shared vision.”

Kiss is well-known for their extensive range of branded merchandise. Mr. Simmons mentioned that they have put their mark on 5000 products, spanning from coffee to condoms, and even coffins.

“Kiss crack is probably not a good idea. No Kiss cigarettes. But the rest of the world is open, why not? Branding makes things fun.”

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