Bertelsmann Merges Firms Behind Kylie Minogue, Miles Davis to Create ...
The combined company will operate as BMG and aims for $1.2 billion in EBITDA as it scales publishing, recorded music and digital distribution.
- On Tuesday, German media group Bertelsmann announced its music division BMG will combine with rival Concord, creating the world's fourth-largest music company operating under the BMG name.
- This tie-up helps the companies scale their publishing and record label businesses, improving resources to compete against major industry leaders Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, and Warner Music Group.
- Under the deal, Bertelsmann receives a 67% stake in the enlarged entity, while Concord shareholders get a 33% stake and a one-time cash payment of $1.16 billion.
- Concord CEO Bob Valentine will lead the combined business as CEO, while BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld transitions to chairman with global headquarters in Nashville.
- Expected to close in the second half of 2026, the merger targets $1.2 billion in mid-term EBITDA, though Bertelsmann Chief Executive Thomas Rabe noted job cuts remain unavoidable.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Mega merger between Concord and BMG included 'Golden Era' studio behind 'Citizen Kane' — but it wasn’t even mentioned
RKO is often viewed as the forgotten child of Hollywood, despite being the studio behind some of this industry’s most celebrated films like “Citizen Kane,” “King Kong” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” while employing Golden Era luminaries Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Germany’s Bertelsmann goes country with deal to buy Nashville’s Concord
German media giant Bertelsmann agreed to buy Nashville-based independent music group Concord and merge it with its BMG Rights Management business in a deal that will create one of the largest music companies in the world.
Operation has ambitions to break the dominance of the three big music sector
BMG and Concord merge to create music's fourth-largest company
BMG and Concord, music companies that represent artists including Tina Turner, Daft Punk and Jelly Roll, are officially merging. This deal is aimed at expanding the global reach of its artists and investing more in AI tools.
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