After years of speculation and false starts, the legendary British rock band Pink Floyd has finalized a deal to sell their recorded music and name and likeness rights to Sony Music for a staggering $400 million, according to sources confirmed by Variety. This monumental deal marks one of the largest in recent years, despite long-standing tensions within the band—primarily between Roger Waters and David Gilmour—and the involvement of other members like drummer Nick Mason, as well as the estates of keyboardist Richard Wright and original frontman Syd Barrett.
The deal covers the band’s recorded music, including iconic albums like Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and Animals. However, it does not include the songwriting rights, which remain with the individual writers. The agreement also includes rights to their name and likeness, meaning Sony now controls Pink Floyd’s merchandise, theatrical productions, and much of their visual branding—particularly the album artwork designed by the British firm Hipgnosis.
Pink Floyd’s catalog is one of the most valuable in contemporary music, and it was only a matter of time before a buyer like Sony would land such a lucrative deal. Sony has been on a spending spree in recent years, acquiring major catalogs from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Queen’s non-North American rights, collectively worth over a billion dollars. The Pink Floyd catalog had been circulating with an asking price of $500 million, but various complications, including internal band conflicts, delayed the sale.
One of the biggest roadblocks was Roger Waters’ controversial political views. His outspoken support for Russia and criticism of Israel and Ukraine caused turmoil within the group and led to several failed deals. Waters’ comments, which sparked public outrage and caused him to lose his solo record deal with BMG, scared off potential buyers. In fact, several suitors, including Hipgnosis, Warner Music, and BMG, were close to deals with the band back in 2022, but political friction, rising interest rates, and economic factors like the sinking value of the British pound also contributed to those deals falling apart.
As tensions flared, the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East further complicated matters, with some speculating that Sony may face backlash for making such a large payment to Waters, who has been accused of antisemitism despite his claims otherwise.
Despite the friction, Gilmour seemed keen to part ways with the burden of managing the band’s assets. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gilmour mentioned his desire to “be rid of the decision-making and the arguments,” calling it his “dream” to step away from the constant back-and-forth.
