Kiss, the hard rock band, has sold their catalog, brand name, and IP to a Swedish company called Pophouse Entertainment Group for over $300 million.
Kiss has partnered with Pophouse before, which was co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus. During their farewell tour in December at Madison Square Garden, they revealed digitized avatars of themselves.
The advanced technology was created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in collaboration with Pophouse. The two companies previously worked on the “ABBA Voyage” show in London, featuring the Swedish band's digital avatars in a full concert from their heyday.
The specific uses for Kiss’ avatars have not been announced yet, but Pophouse CEO Per Sundin promises a biopic, a documentary, and a Kiss experience in the future.
An avatar show is set to launch in the second half of 2027, with a different style from “ABBA Voyage,” and it will start in North America.
Sundin aims to introduce Kiss to new generations through this acquisition, setting Pophouse apart from other music catalog buyers.
Per Sundin explains that while they will own the artists’ rights, they are working in cooperation with Kiss and Universal Music Group. He emphasizes that they bought all rights, which is unusual.
Gene Simmons dislikes the term 'acquisition,' and he reassures that the band would not sell their catalog to a company they didn't appreciate.
Gene Simmons emphasizes that the collaboration means they are committed to the project and will be actively involved, not just leaving it to Pophouse.
The band confirms that they will not tour again as Kiss, and they will not perform wearing makeup.
Kiss is Pophouse's second investment outside of Sweden. In February, they partnered with Cyndi Lauper, who sold the majority share of her music and is working on an immersive performance project set in her hometown of New York.
The goal is to create new ways to share Lauper’s music with fans and younger audiences through fresh performances and live experiences.
Lauper told the AP at the Pophouse headquarters in Stockholm in February, “Most executives, when you share an idea with them, lose interest, they just want your greatest hits. But these individuals are a multimedia company, they’re not just interested in purchasing my collection, they want to create something new.”
