Sony Corporation of America, a wholly owned Sony subsidiary, has reached an agreement to buy all of the interest in EMI Music Publishing that is currently held by a consortium of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment for about $1.9 billion.
Under the agreement, Sony will buy Mubadala’s 60 percent holding in EMI, giving the Japanese firm an indirect stake of approximately 90 percent.
Kenichiro Yoshida, President and CEO, Sony Corporation said, “We are thrilled to bring EMI Music Publishing into the Sony family and maintain our number one position in the music publishing industry. I would also like to convey my gratitude to Mubadala, our equity partner in EMI Music Publishing, for sharing our long-term perspective on the potential success of music publishing and their support as we grew the business. The music business has enjoyed a resurgence over the past couple of years, driven largely by the rise of paid subscription-based streaming services. In the entertainment space, we are focusing on building a strong IP portfolio, and I believe this acquisition will be a particularly significant milestone for our long-term growth.”
While the final purchase price to be paid by Sony for all of Mubadala’s equity interest in EMI Music Publishing is subject to customary closing adjustments, the total cash consideration Sony expects to pay to consolidate EMI Music Publishing is approximately $2.3 billion.
The original transaction and the investor consortium that partnered with Sony and the Michael Jackson Estate to acquire EMI Music Publishing from a wholly-owned subsidiary of Citigroup Inc. were sourced and assembled by Mubadala Capital’s private equity business, which has controlled and managed EMI Music Publishing on behalf of Mubadala and other third-party investors since 2012.
Hani Barhoush, Head of Mubadala Capital, said: “EMI has been a successful investment for Mubadala and I would like to personally extend my appreciation to the leadership at Sony and Sony/ATV, who have been instrumental in administering the EMI catalog as well as shaping the music landscape on a global basis. They have been tremendous partners to us.”
Adib Mattar, Head of Private Equity for Mubadala Capital and Chairman of EMI Music Publishing, said: “EMI Music Publishing represents one of the world’s largest and most diverse catalog of copyrights with iconic songs that span every decade over the last one hundred years. Writers and artists only stand to benefit under consolidated ownership and should feel proud to be part of the Sony family. The sale of our consortium’s interest in EMI Music Publishing represents a milestone for Mubadala and our private equity business.”
The deal is based on an enterprise value of $4.75 billion, according to Sony. The company will also assume EMI Music Publishing’s existing gross debt of approximately $1.359 billion as of Mar. 31, 2018.
