Apple Corps grants Universal Music exclusive Beatles merchandise and licensing rights
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The Beatles' rights-holding company Apple Corps signed a worldwide, exclusive licensing and merchandising deal with Universal Music Group, covering physical and digital merchandise, licensing and e-commerce for the band. The agreement builds on a 14-year relationship between the two companies and comes as Universal positions itself to benefit commercially from renewed interest in the band ahead of a major biopic release.
The deal precedes a quartet of Sam Mendes-directed biopics, collectively titled "The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event," currently in production and due for release in 2028, with Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan playing Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr respectively. Apple Corps, founded in 1968 to manage the band's business affairs, is also preparing an immersive fan experience at 3 Savile Row in London, opening in 2027, featuring seven floors of archival material, a merchandise store and a recreation of the "Let It Be" recording studio at the site of the band's famous rooftop concert.
- Apple Corps and Universal Music sign global Beatles merchandising deal
- Comes ahead of four Sam Mendes Beatles biopics, due 2028
- Immersive Beatles fan experience opens in London in 2027
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The Beatles' business affairs are run by Apple Corps, the company the band set up in 1968, and it decides how their name, music and image are used commercially. It has now made a worldwide agreement with Universal Music Group covering merchandise, licensing and online sales, giving Universal a leading role in producing and selling Beatles-branded products.
The deal comes as interest in the band is expected to grow ahead of four new biographical films directed by Sam Mendes, due for release in 2028, each focusing on one member of the group and cast with a different actor. Apple Corps is also developing a fan attraction in London, set to open in 2027, on the site linked to the band's history, adding to the wider push to engage both longstanding fans and new audiences.
Universal Music Group is one of the world's largest music companies and already has a long-standing relationship with the Beatles' catalogue, making this agreement an extension of existing ties rather than a new partnership. The arrangement matters because it shows how classic musical acts continue to generate commercial activity decades after their original success, tied closely to new media projects like film and immersive experiences.
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Originally published by Variety as “The Beatles Ink Licensing and Merch Deal With Universal Music Ahead of Biopics”.