Variety reports that Kiss have sold their music catalog, brand name, image and likeness to Pophouse Entertainment, the Sweden-based music investment firm behind ABBA’s “Voyage” hologram show, in a deal estimated to be over $300 million. News of the deal arrives just four months after Kiss unveiled plans for an avatar concert similar to ABBA’s with digital versions of the group.
In a statement, Pophouse CEO Per Sundin said that the company plans to promote the group’s “iconic music, enigmatic personas, and expressive imagery for generations to come. Our partnership will fuse the rich history and iconic status of KISS with cutting-edge technology, allowing fans – now and in the future – to experience the band like never before.” He added: “Kiss has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has throughout their 50-year career continued to push the boundaries in popular culture. The band’s enigmatic personas, unparalleled band attributes, and iconic imagery have made them a cultural force and a legendary act with multigenerational appeal. We will safeguard and enrich this legacy through future global endeavors, by breathing new life into their characters and personas while also leveraging and elevating the visual world of KISS.”
Kiss teased their forthcoming digital show at the final concert of their “End of the Road” tour in New York last year when the band’s current lineup — founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as well as guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — took the stage at the final night of their farewell tour in December at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves. The cutting-edge technology was created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Pophouse. with the first digital Kiss show scheduled for 2027.
Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons said, “We have always been breaking new ground in popular culture, and this partnership will ensure that we continue to do so for years to come. Because what Pophouse is doing, is breaking rules. We already have several plans in development.”
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