Pink Floyd has finalized a significant deal, selling the rights to their music, name, and image to Sony for $400 million.
The Financial Times and Digital Music News confirmed the agreement after a lengthy negotiation period. As a result of this licensing arrangement, fans can expect to hear Pink Floyd’s music featured more frequently in movies, TV shows, video games, and other forms of media.
This sale followed multiple unsuccessful attempts to reach an agreement between band members David Gilmour and Roger Waters, who often found themselves at odds. One key sticking point was the deal’s tax structure. Other potential bidders included Warner Music, Hipgnosis, and BMG.
Gilmour previously expressed his willingness to sell, stating, “To be rid of the decision-making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going is my dream. If things were different … and I am not interested in that from a financial standpoint. I’m only interested in it from getting out of the mud bath that it has been for quite a while.”
The “mud bath” likely refers to Gilmour’s ongoing conflicts with Waters. In 2023, Gilmour described Waters as a “misogynistic, antisemitic, Putin supporter.” The band attempted to sell their catalog in 2022, but negotiations stalled due to internal disagreements and Waters’ controversial remarks.
These tensions left potential buyers uncertain. In 2022, the Financial Times reported that the catalog might be valued at around $500 million if a deal were successfully concluded. However, some prospective buyers withdrew following a 2022 interview in which Waters made contentious statements regarding Israel, Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.
Waters claimed that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine was “not unprovoked.” He was even invited to address the UN in early 2023, where he reiterated this viewpoint.
In March 2023, four sources informed Variety that the band’s $500 million sale was “basically dead” due to disagreements among members. However, other insiders close to the band disputed this claim.
