UMG’s Bravado has just expanded its merchandising opportunities with the acquisition of Epic Rights.
Universal Music Group’s (UMG) Bravado has confirmed a major acquisition.
The full-service lifestyle and brand merchandise company has completely acquired its competitor, Epic Rights.
Financial terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed.
The Epic Rights roster includes a diverse group of iconic artists and music brands. The list includes KISS, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Kevin Hart, 21 Savage, Madonna, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Sting, David Bowie, Lionel Richie, Hollywood Vampires, Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top, Marc Anthony, the Woodstock festival, and CBGB, among others.
Epic Rights, a Los Angeles-based company, will now become a part of Bravado. As part of the agreement, Dell Furano, Epic Rights’ CEO and Founder, will continue to independently build merchandising opportunities for its roster of artists, along with his team. The company’s services include retail branding and licensing, VIP ticketing and fan experiences, fan communities, concert merchandising, maintaining artists’ websites and online merch shops, and trademark development.
The acquisition will add to UMG’s annual turnover.
UMG’s annual turnover from merchandise currently stands at over $250 million.
For the full year of 2017, UMG brought in $320 million from merchandising alone, a number that has subsided since.
Speaking about the announcement and the company’s long-term plans, Mat Vlasic, CEO of Bravado, explained,
“As the industry’s preeminent brand management company, we are constantly looking for ways to evolve our company while providing fans around the world with an ever-growing array of products and experiences. I’m excited to work with Dell, a true icon in our industry, and expand the Bravado portfolio.”
Furano added,
“I have great respect for Mat and his teams at Bravado and Universal Music – they have taken product development, marketing, and global distribution to an entirely new level. I’m very proud of all that we’ve achieved at Epic Rights, and look forward to expanding Epic’s roster and artist services in this next chapter.”
He founded Epic Rights in 2014.
Featured image by Bravado.