Sting is the latest rocker to sell his song catalogue. with Universal Music Group (UMG) acquiring his entire portfolio spanning his years with the Police and on his own. Although no numbers were released, industry whispers put the amount of the sale in the $300 million range. UMG has been Sting's label home for his entire career through his runs at A&M, Interscope, and Cherrytree Records.
Sting name-checked both Jody Gerson — the Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group and Sir Lucian Grainge — UMG's Chairman & CEO in the official statement regarding the sale:
I am delighted to have Jody and the team at UMPG curate and manage my song catalog. It is absolutely essential to me that my career's body of work have a home where it is valued and respected — not only to connect with longtime fans in new ways but also to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.