Sony Scores Beatles Merch Deal

Sony Music Entertainment has signed an agreement to be the exclusive North American provider of Beatles memorabilia.

The deal comes as Sony works to expand its music merchandising market through its Thread Shop division. Financial terms and details of the deal were not disclosed.

Under the new agreement, Thread Shop will expand the Beatles brand in the U.S. with Apple Corps, the band’s London-based corporate entity. The pair plans to develop apparel and other products. Stores set to carry the new merchandise include Target, Forever 21, Hot Topic and FYE. Thread Shop will also operate the Beatles’ North American retail website.

Sony also plans to open a pop-up store in New York City to showcase new apparel, toys and other Beatles-branded merchandise during the second week of December.

Bravado, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal Music Group, has held the Beatles’ North American merchandise license since 2013.

Both Sony and Universal are deeply engrained in furthering the Beatles brand. Sony controls publishing rights to hundreds of the band’s songs through Sony/ATV Music Publishing, while Universal serves as the group’s record company worldwide and owns its recorded music catalog.

In addition to the Beatles, Thread Shop recently acquired the merchandise division of Araca Group, a theatrical production company that houses artists including P!nk, Sugarland, Shania Twain and Led Zeppelin.