Rights to Tina Turner’s name, image and music sold in major deal

Tina Turner’s name, image and likeness rights, along with a majority share of her music catalogue, have been sold to Pophouse Entertainment, after striking a new deal with BMG.

The Swedish entertainment company — co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and known for its digital avatar productions — announced the acquisition on Thursday (19.03.26).

Tina, the Queen of Rock and Roll, died in 2023 at the age of 83.

Her career spanned decades and produced hits including What’s Love Got to Do With It, The Best and Proud Mary.

She won 12 Grammy Awards — including a Lifetime Achievement Award — earned two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was honoured at the Kennedy Center in 2005 and sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

Talks between Pophouse and BMG began after Tina’s death.

BMG still retains a percentage of her catalogue and confirmed that Tina’s estate was not a direct negotiating party, but was “informed and participating in the conversations.”

Alistair Norbury, president of BMG UK, Continental Europe and APAC, said in a statement: “Tina Turner’s voice and spirit shaped modern music and popular culture. Our responsibility, alongside Pophouse and the Estate, is to ensure her work continues to resonate with audiences around the world, while remaining true to the strength, independence and originality that defined her career.”

Pophouse has been expanding its global footprint with high-profile acquisitions. In 2024, KISS sold their entire catalogue, brand name and intellectual property to the company in a deal estimated at more than $300 million. The band had already partnered with Pophouse to create digital avatars, unveiled during the final night of their 2023 End Of The Road farewell tour.

The technology behind those avatars was developed by Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas’ special-effects company, in collaboration with Pophouse. The same partnership powers the ABBA Voyage show in London, where fans attend a full concert performed by digital versions of the Swedish group.