The Beatles’ Apple Corps and Universal Music Sign Global Merchandise, Licensing and E-Commerce Deal

Apple Corps Ltd and Universal Music Group announced on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, an exclusive, long-term, global partnership covering all worldwide merchandise, licensing and e-commerce business tied to The Beatles. The agreement expands UMG’s role beyond its long-standing stewardship of the band’s recorded music catalogue, giving the company oversight of physical and digital merchandise sales, licensing arrangements and online retail on the group’s behalf.

Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. Apple Corps, the company set up in 1968 to manage The Beatles’ creative and commercial affairs, will continue to work alongside UMG, which has handled the band’s recordings for years through its ties to Capitol Records.

• Deal announced: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
• Covers: worldwide merchandise in both physical and digital forms, along with licensing and e-commerce operations
• Fan experience “The Beatles at 3 Savile Row” set to open in 2027
• Four Beatles biopic films directed by Sam Mendes due for simultaneous release in April 2028

What Universal Music and Apple Corps Executives Said About the Beatles Deal

Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge described The Beatles as “one of the most iconic and enduring cultural brands of all time” in a statement announcing the agreement. He added that deepening ties built over “the past 14 years” with Apple Corps represents “one of the great highlights” of his career as a self-described lifelong fan of the band.

Tom Greene, CEO of Apple Corps, said he was “delighted to partner with UMG on a new global merchandising deal,” pointing to what he called an especially active period for the band’s business as the 3 Savile Row project and the biopic films approach. Dickon Stainer, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group U.K., said the new agreement would help expose worldwide audiences to what he called the band’s “unique genius.”

Beatles Biopics and 3 Savile Row Fan Experience Timeline

The merchandising agreement arrives as Apple Corps and UMG prepare for two major Beatles projects already in motion. “The Beatles: A Four Film Cinematic Event,” a set of four biopic films directed by Sam Mendes, is scheduled for simultaneous release in April 2028, with each film centered on one member of the band.

Harris Dickinson is set to play John Lennon, Paul Mescal will portray Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn takes on George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan plays Ringo Starr, with James Norton cast as the band’s manager, Brian Epstein. First announced in 2024, this four-film venture is the earliest instance in which Apple Corps and the group’s members and estates have handed over complete rights to their life stories and music for use in a dramatized motion picture.

Ahead of the films, Apple Corps plans to open “The Beatles at 3 Savile Row” in 2027, billed as the first official Beatles fan experience. The site will occupy seven floors of the band’s former London headquarters, featuring previously unseen archival material, rotating exhibitions and a fan store, along with a recreation of the studio where “Let It Be” was recorded and the rooftop location of the band’s famous concert.

Apple Corps also marked June 25 of this year as Global Beatles Day, a fan tradition first established in 2009 built around the message “All You Need Is Love.”

More Info

• The Beatles’ Apple Corps, Universal Music Strike Global e-Commerce, Merchandise Partnership for the Fab Four | The Hollywood Reporter Music
• The Beatles Ink Licensing and Merch Deal With Universal Music Ahead of Biopics | Variety Music
• Universal Signs Licensing Deal For The Beatles Merch, E-Commerce As Biopics Near | Billboard
• The Beatles reach new agreement with Universal Music ahead of 2028 biopics | Far Out Magazine
• The Beatles’ new UMG partnership recalls their greatest business mistake: Behind the blunder that cost them millions | Guitar Player