Influence Media to buy Anthem's music catalog for over $600M
What's the deal? Influence Media Partners has agreed to acquire the music assets of Canada's Anthem Entertainment for more than $600 million. Billboard reported in June 2026 that Influence bid slightly above $650 million, beating roughly a dozen competing offers.
What's included? The transaction covers Anthem's stake in more than 24,000 released songs, including Britney Spears' "Oops!… I Did It Again," Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack," and OneRepublic's "Counting Stars." It also brings soundtracks from the Spider-Man and Men in Black franchises, plus The LEGO Ninjago Movie.
Who's involved? Founded in New York in 2019, Influence Media was initially backed by Warner Music GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → before funds managed by BlackRock affiliates became its primary financing partner. It has invested in catalogs from Blake Shelton, Future, Enrique Iglesias, and DJ Khaled.
What they're saying: "This acquisition marks a major milestone for Influence Media and reflects the momentum we've built as a platform," said founder and co-managing partner Lylette Pizarro McLean. BlackRock's Paul Braude called Anthem's catalog "the high-quality, scaled intellectual property assets" the firm targets.
Why now? Anthem chief executive officer Jason Klein said the company built its collection over two decades and is now selling it. "I am pleased to see our catalog and talented songwriters enter their next era supported by a creator-led independent with the vision and resources to unlock new opportunities," Klein said.
What could go wrong? The deal still needs approval from Canada's Canadian Heritage regulator. Influence expects it to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The signal: Deep-pocketed institutional investors continue to treat music catalogs as durable, income-generating assets. With BlackRock broadening its partnership behind Influence, the appetite for scaled intellectual property in music shows no sign of cooling.
Read more: Billboard
Image credit: audiomixhouse
