Roger Fingas
The agency representing British singer Adele, William Morris Endeavor, is repotedly pitching Apple on a $30 million tour sponsorship deal, although it may be contingent on Apple Stores stocking physical copies of Adele's latest album.
Apple has already rejected the idea of stocking CDs, the U.K.'s Daily Mail said. It's not clear though if Apple has completely dismissed the idea of a tour sponsorship, which was first hinted at by the New York Post.
If Apple did agree to the $30 million sum, it would be up to 10 times more than a typical sponsorship, the Post noted.
Apple is unlikely to carry CDs in its stores, above all since it would draw attention away from the iTunes Store and Apple Music. Some form of sponsorship might be useful however as a way of promoting those services, and more deeply entrenching Apple as a name brand in the music industry.
The iTunes Store is already the most popular source for legal music downloads, but its streaming service — Apple Music — launched just this summer, and is still dwarfed by rivals like Spotify and Pandora.
To push exposure, Apple has not only bombarded media with advertising but renamed the iTunes Festival to the Apple Music Festival, and secured exclusive songs, albums, and music videos. It has even collaborated on a VR music video with U2, a band long associated with Apple marketing.
Andrew Orr
Christine McKee
Sponsored Content
Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Amber Neely
59 Comments
Sounds like a horrible idea.
When/If it happens%u2026 Cool. $30M and I haven't even sang a single note. I like touring.
[quote name="mstone" url="/t/189825/grammy-winning-singer-adeles-talent-agency-pitches-apple-on-30m-tour-sponsorship#post_2798167"]Sounds like a horrible idea. [/quote] Sounds like a terrific idea, if executed correctly. Adele is hot right now, and Apple Music could use a mindshare boost from some high profile artists.
Apple is unlikely to carry CDs in its stores, above all since it would draw attention away from the iTunes Store and Apple Music.
Physical CD display? None of Apple’s currently shipping products even have an optical drive anymore. What’s the point?