Overview
- A deal announced Tuesday between BMG and U.S. rival Concord will combine their music rights under the BMG name, subject to regulatory approval and an expected close in the second half of 2026.
- After closing, Bertelsmann will own about 67% of the combined company while Concord’s owners retain 33% and receive a one-time $1.16 billion cash payment.
- The companies forecast 2026 pro-forma revenue of $2.2 billion and EBITDA of $730 million, and they outline a medium-term goal to reach $1.2 billion in EBITDA through growth and synergies.
- Concord CEO Bob Valentine will serve as chief executive and BMG’s Thomas Coesfeld will be chairman, with the global headquarters in Nashville and a European seat in Berlin, and divisions branded as BMG Publishing and Concord Records.
- The merger would form the largest independent rights owner behind Universal, Sony, and Warner, uniting BMG’s more than three million songs and recordings with Concord’s roughly 1.3 million works and expanding support and investment for artists and songwriters.