The Beatles’ Apple Corps and Universal Music Sign Global Merchandise and E-Commerce Deal
Apple Corps Ltd and Universal Music Group announced a new exclusive, long-term, global partnership on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, covering The Beatles’ worldwide merchandise, licensing and e-commerce business. Under the deal, Universal Music Group will handle physical and digital merchandise, licensing and e-commerce on behalf of the band, building on the company’s existing stewardship of The Beatles’ music catalogue.
Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Apple Corps Ltd was founded in 1968 to oversee The Beatles’ creative and business interests, while Universal Music has long overseen the band’s recorded music through its stewardship of Capitol Records.
- The partnership was announced Wednesday, August 19, 2026
- Universal Music Group will manage worldwide physical and digital merchandise, licensing and e-commerce for The Beatles
- Terms of the deal, including financial details, were not disclosed
- The agreement comes ahead of a planned 2027 fan experience and 2028 biopic films
What Executives Said About the Beatles Deal
Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, called The Beatles “one of the most iconic and enduring cultural brands of all time” and said building on relationships forged over the past 14 years is “one of the great highlights” of his career.
Tom Greene, CEO of Apple Corps, said he was “delighted to partner with UMG on a new global merchandising deal” and pointed to the upcoming 3 Savile Row fan experience in 2027 and the biopic films in 2028. Dickon Stainer, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group U.K., said the agreement will ensure global audiences are “opened up to their unique genius.”
The Beatles: A Four Film Cinematic Event, Planned for 2028
The partnership comes ahead of “The Beatles: A Four Film Cinematic Event,” four biopic films about John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr directed by Sam Mendes, planned for simultaneous release in April 2028. First announced in 2024, the films will feature Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, with James Norton playing manager Brian Epstein.
The films mark the first time Apple Corps and The Beatles’ members and estates have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film production.
The Beatles at 3 Savile Row Fan Experience Planned for 2027
Apple Corps is planning to open “The Beatles at 3 Savile Row,” billed as the world’s first official Beatles fan experience, in 2027. The venue will occupy seven floors at the former Apple Corps headquarters in London and will include archival material, rotating exhibitions, a fan store, and a recreation of the studio where “Let It Be” was recorded, including the rooftop concert site.
Apple Corps this year also recognized June 25 as Global Beatles Day, a fan initiative first established in 2009 around the message “All You Need Is Love.”
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