Time Warner,EMI to merge music
URL: cbs.marketwatch.com
Time Warner,EMI to merge music
By CBS MarketWatch
Last Update: 9:10 PM ET Jan 23, 2000
NewsWatch
LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Time Warner and London-based EMI Group are in talks to
strike up a merger for their recording businesses -- a deal that would created the world's
second-largest music group.
An announcement is expected Monday morning in London, the Financial Times and the
Associated Press reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
A duet with EMI Records -- which holds rights to work by such
stars as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones -- comes just two weeks after AOL
announced it will acquire Time Warner for about $145 million.
London-based EMI confirmed Sunday that it is in the final stages of negotiations and said
an announcement is forthcoming. Time Warner in New York also acknowledged the
talks, but spokesman Edward Adler said, "No deal has been signed."
Time Warner (TWX: news, msgs) has declined to comment details of the reports, which
also said Time Warner would pay EMI about $1 billion for a controlling interest: Time
Warner hold six seats and EMI would hold five on an 11-member board of the combined
music company.
Press reports Sunday placed the value of the music assets of the two companies at about
$10 billion each.
Star-studded deal
The new company -- to be called Warner EMI Music -- would have Time Warner's
Atlantic, Elektra and Warner Brothers records labels that include such performers as
Cher, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Madonna, Metallica and REM.
EMI brings to the deal the Virgin, Priority and Capitol record labels -- including names
like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Spice Girls, Van Morrison and Frank Sinatra.
The two companies accounted for $8.3 billion in annual sales, which would make the
merged company second to Seagram's Universal Music, according to AP. Industry
experts say the deal could accelerate access to online music, an arena where record
companies hope to increase profits by delivering products directly to consumers via the
Internet.
Time Warner's interest in EMI underscores its strategy to increase its media and
entertainment content while extending its brand name around the world. By agreeing to be
acquired by AOL, Time Warner came up with a way to increase its distribution
capabilities in the new media. Now, the world's largest media and entertainment company
is turning its attention to enlarging its product offerings to the public.
The acquisition could have pitfalls. Increasingly, Internet-savvy consumers have shown an
ability to download music straight from their computers and shun the middleman -- the
music companies such as Time Warner and EMI.
Time Warner, through its deal with AOL (AOL: news, msgs), the leading Internet
distributor, now has a shot at gaining a substantial interest over the Net. EMI will gain
access to AOL's Net distribution channels.
The merger comes at a crucial time for both Time Warner and EMI. Warner Music's
earnings fell from $288 million to $279 million in the first nine months of last year. EMI
has been recovering from difficulties of its own, but in the six months to the end of
September, profits were up by 61 percent to $108 million.
By linking their operations, Warner EMI will shave $400 million in costs over three years,
according to the source close to the deal. Under the structure being negotiated, Warner
and EMI would each own 50 percent of the new company, according to published
reports, though Warner would control six seats on the board of directors while EMI
would have five..
The shares of the merged company will still trade on the London Stock Exchange, reports
said. The merger, which still needs the approval of regulators, is expected to take about a
year.
Shares of Time Warner closed up 3.8 percent to 91 1/8 Friday, before news of the EMI
deal broke. |
