Pink Floyd might be selling their catalog to Sony Music for $500 million after David Gilmour’s message to Roger Waters.
The Pink Floyd catalog deal has been the most complicated of the big music deals. It’s been on the market for years, with a $500 million price tag. The deal nearly happened in 2022, but arguments among band members, especially over Waters’ political views, have made the deal difficult and turned away potential buyers.
Reports say that Sony Music is close to buying Pink Floyd’s music rights for $400 million to $500 million. Sony has spent over a billion dollars on other music catalogs recently, with help from investment firms like Eldridge Industries.
In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this month, Gilmour talked about selling the Pink Floyd catalog, saying, “To be rid of the decision-making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going is my dream.”
The guitarist continued, “I am not interested in [a catalog sale] from a financial standpoint. I’m only interested in it from getting out of the mud bath that it has been (going) for quite a while.”
The ‘mud bath’ likely refers to Gilmour’s ongoing problems with Waters. In 2023, Gilmour called Waters a ‘misogynistic, antisemitic, Putin apologist.’ They’ve also exchanged other statements about each other over the years.
Some still hope for a Pink Floyd reunion, though. Gilmour recently dashed hopes for it, explaining, “I mean, it’s not going to happen. There’s only three people left and we’re not talking and unlikely to. [Laughs] So it’s not going to happen.”
Details about the deal are unclear. Sony and the band didn’t comment. If the price is high, Waters’ controversial views on various governments and support for Russia didn’t affect it much. If the price is low, his comments might have reduced the value by 20%. Other buyers were not impressed with the catalog’s earnings.