The music & leisure e-tailer will proceed to function with its present management group as a stand-alone direct-to-fan enterprise.
Warner Music Group (WMG) introduced on Monday (Sept. 17) it has entered right into a definitive settlement to accumulate main European music and leisure merchandise on-line retailer EMP Merchandising Handelsgesellschaft mbH (EMP).
EMP is at present owned by New York-based personal fairness agency Sycamore Partners. When the deal is full, EMP will function with CEO Ernst Trapp and CFO Jan Fischer of their management positions as a stand-alone, direct-to-fan firm inside WEA — WMG’s world artist and label companies division headed by President Tony Harlow.
EMP was based in Germany in 1986 and right now provides merchandise from artists together with Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco, Metallica, Motörhead, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Nirvana and extra. It additionally sells merchandise for main leisure manufacturers resembling Disney and Marvel and gaming manufacturers resembling Nintendo and PlayStation, in addition to the NFL and Vans. EMP operates a community of internet sites serving 18 European nations with thousands and thousands of consumers and a paid loyalty program.
“EMP has constructed a robust way of life vacation spot that will likely be an ideal complement to our world artist improvement and advertising and marketing methods,” mentioned Stu Bergen, CEO of International & Global Commercial Services, Recorded Music, WMG, in an announcement. “Their music-led experience will give us nice perception into what audiences love and what they need, and on the identical time open up thrilling new alternatives for our artists. We look ahead to bringing Ernst, Jan, and everybody at EMP into WMG’s rising household of manufacturers.”
Added Max Lousada, CEO of Recorded Music, WMG: “In right now’s streaming world, merchandise continues to be top-of-the-line ways in which followers can specific their passions and personalities. It’s additionally a giant a part of how music has seen and bodily affect on world tradition and style. Welcoming EMP will likely be our newest transfer to develop {our relationships} with influencers throughout the globe.”
The deal is anticipated to shut within the fourth calendar quarter of 2018 and is topic to approval by German authorities and satisfaction of different situations. It follows different current WMG acquisitions, together with A&R data startup Sodatone, media brand UPROXX, electronic music label Spinnin’ Records and the Songkick concert discovery app.
“It’s all the time been our purpose to create probably the most genuine, unique merchandise,” mentioned Trapp in an announcement. “Our group is made up of devoted followers who’re curating the music, themes, and way of life manufacturers that they know fellow followers will embrace. By becoming a member of WMG, we will develop our worldwide attain, discover new genres, attain new audiences, and take fan expertise to a complete new stage.”
