Universal Music Group Expands Beatles Partnership to Merchandise, Licensing, and E-Commerce
Universal Music Group has expanded its long-term deal with the Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd to take over the band's physical and digital merchandise, licensing, and e-commerce worldwide, building on a catalogue relationship that goes back 14 years. The agreement, confirmed on 19 August 2026, places UMG in charge of the Beatles' brand across more than 60 countries. Rolling Stone
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said the expanded partnership builds on a relationship forged over the past 14 years. Tom Greene, CEO of Apple Corps Ltd, confirmed the deal in a statement. Rolling Stone
One of the first projects under the expanded agreement is a fan experience called "The Beatles at 3 Savile Row," scheduled to open in 2027. The building at 3 Savile Row in London housed the Beatles' Apple offices from June 1968. Its basement served as the studio for the Let It Be sessions, and its rooftop was the stage for the band's final public performance. Rolling Stone
The Beatles sold 3 Savile Row in 1976. They have since repurchased it. The planned museum will span seven floors of artifacts from Apple's offices, a recreation of the studio, additional exhibitions, and a store. Rolling Stone
The partnership also sets the stage for the upcoming Beatles biopic project, "The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event," directed by Sam Mendes and set to open in 2028. The film is the first script to receive full approval from Apple Corps and will use the band's actual music, a distinction from the 1995 film Backbeat, which did not. Rolling Stone
Apple Corps has also made Global Beatles Day, celebrated on 25 June, an official fan-led celebration. To mark its involvement, the company re-released the original performance of "All You Need Is Love." Rolling Stone
The new deal is long-term and is intended to support the broader expansion of the band's cultural presence, according to License Global and China Daily. UMG already manages Apple Corps merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries, a relationship that dates back to at least 2017, when UMG relaunching its PolyGram Entertainment division to accelerate its film and television strategy. Universal Music Group
For a band whose catalogue negotiations have historically been events in themselves, the deal carries echoes of the 2010 agreement that brought the Beatles' music to the iTunes Store — a contract described at the time as one of the most lucrative in iTunes history. In that deal, iTunes paid royalties from digital download sales directly to Apple Corps and handled songwriting mechanical royalties separately. Reuters
This time the scope is wider: not just recordings but the entire commercial footprint of the brand, from T-shirts to museum tickets to film soundtracks, all under one roof.
