Pophouse Entertainment Secures Tina Turner Name, Image, Likeness Rights

The rights to Tina Turner’s name, image, likeness, and a majority stake in her music catalogue have been reportedly acquired by Swedish entertainment company Pophouse Entertainment.

Per Rolling Stone, the deal, struck with BMG, adds one of the most iconic catalogues in recorded music to Pophouse’s growing portfolio of legacy artist IP. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Pophouse - co-founded by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus - has built a reputation for pairing catalogue acquisitions with immersive, multimedia projects, including the long-running ABBA Voyage virtual concert experience. The company has also previously secured rights or forged partnerships with artists including KISS and Cyndi Lauper.

Pophouse’s CEO, Jessica Koravos, told the Associated Press that the company was interested in Turner, who died in 2023, “because she has such an incredible visual presence and such an incredible stage energy".

“What we want to do is really help to consolidate her legacy,” she said. “I think that Tina Turner is up there, or is going to be up there, with the Elvises and the Marilyn Monroes of the world.”

The company, known for digital avatars and immersive experiences, is exploring “projects that can portray that and try to re-create that to some degree,” she added. She did not say whether or not the company was making a Turner avatar, but did tease an announcement of its plans to arrive some time in the next six months.

Alistair Norbury, president of BMG U.K., Continental Europe and APAC, wrote in a statement: "Tina Turner’s voice and spirit shaped modern music and popular culture. Our responsibility, alongside Pophouse and the Estate, is to ensure her work continues to resonate with audiences around the world, while remaining true to the strength, independence and originality that defined her career.”