Pophouse Entertainment
Pophouse Entertainment is a private entertainment company based in Stockholm, Sweden.[1][2] The company creates, acquires, and develops brands in various related fields, such as music, podcasting, stage performance, and gaming. Pophouse invests in music rights, as well as other types of intellectual property in the entertainment industry. Founded in 2014 by Conni Jonsson and Björn Ulvaeus, it has since been affiliated with many of Sweden's most notable entertainment brands including ABBA,[3] Swedish House Mafia[4] and Avicii, among others.[5][6] Per Sundin currently serves as the group's CEO.
Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | |
Founded | 2014 |
Founders | Conni Jonsson, Björn Ulvaeus |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Per Sundin (CEO) Steve Barnett (Investment Advisory Committee ) Catherine Powell (Board of Directors) Johan Lagerlöf (Investments division) |
Services | Music publishing, brands development, hospitality, investments |
Website | pophouse |
History
Pophouse Entertainment (also known as Pophouse) was established in 2014 in Stockholm, Sweden by Björn Ulvaeus, a founding member of the musical group ABBA, and Conni Jonsson, founder of EQT Partners.[1] Since 2019, the CEO of Pophouse is Per Sundin, who was previously CEO of Universal Music in the Nordics[7] and was instrumental in the emergence of Spotify,[8] as the first music label executive to partner with the streaming platform.[9][10]
On February 25, 2022, the company opened Avicii Experience, an interactive museum in Stockholm, and a tribute to Tim Bergling's music and life.[11][12] The opening ceremony was inaugurated by the Swedish royal family.[13]
In March 2022, Pophouse Entertainment acquired the master recordings of Swedish House Mafia musical band.[2][14]
In April 2022, Pophouse recruited James Mcknight, previously Creative director of the Harry Potter franchise, as head of entertainment research and development for Pophouse, and also opened their first office in London.[15]
Funding and acquisitions
In September 2021, the company bought Perfect Day Media AB, a media house founded in 2011, that develops and produces podcasts for various media platforms.[16][17]
In 2022, Pophouse announced they would move into music catalog investments.[1] According to Bloomberg, "Pophouse is raising a music fund with a target size of up to $1 billion USD, similar to that of Hipgnosis and Round Hill Music Royalty Fund. However, Pophouse has not yet confirmed that claim."[1]
Pophouse was among the major developers of ‘ABBA Voyage’, a concert residency by the Swedish pop group ABBA. The concerts feature ABBA as virtual avatars (dubbed 'ABBAtars'), depicting the group as they appeared in 1979. The concerts are held in a purpose-built venue at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, officially called ABBA Arena.[3][18]
Notable projects and collaborations
- ABBA Voyage[5]
- Swedish House Mafia
- Avicii Experience[11]
- Space[2]
- Perfect Day Media
- Mamma Mia The Party[4][6]
- Pippi at the Cirkus[2]
- ABBA The Museum[2]
- Fat Cat brasserie
Key people
- Per Sundin - CEO (previously CEO of Universal Music Sweden and Nordics)
- Johan Lagerlöf - Managing Partner of the Investments Division (previously, founder and CEO of X5 Music Group)
- Catherine Powell - Board of Directors (currently also serving as head of hosting at Airbnb)[5]
- Steve Barnett (music executive) - Investment Advisory Committee (previously CEO and chairman of Capitol Records and Columbia Records)[2]
References
- Daly, Charles (2022-03-29). "ABBA Star's Entertainment Firm Buys Swedish House Mafia Catalog". Bloomberg.
- Aswad, Jem (2022-03-29). "Swedish House Mafia Sells Masters, Publishing to Pophouse Entertainment". Variety Magazine.
- Moore, Sam (2022-03-30). "Swedish House Mafia sell their masters and publishing rights to Pophouse Entertainment". NME.
- "ABBA-backed firm buys rights to Swedish House Mafia songs". Reuters. 2022-03-29.
- Needham, Jack (2022-02-17). "SWEDEN'S POPHOUSE IS INVESTING IN MUSIC RIGHTS, AS IT ADDS AIRBNB AND EQT EXECS TO ITS BOARD". Music Business Worldwide.
- Newlands, Emma (2022-04-12). "Take a chance on me: Scot opening London office for Swedish entertainment company co-founded by ABBA's Björn". The Scotsman.
- Milne, Richard (2014-10-24). "The Spotify effect". Financial Times.
- Greeley, Brendan (2011-07-14). "Spotify's Ek Wins Over Music Pirates With Labels' Approval". Bloomberg.
- The Spotify Play: How CEO and Founder Daniel Ek Beat Apple, Google, and Amazon in the Race for Audio Dominance. Diversion Books. Jan 26, 2021. ISBN 9781635767452.
- Digital Revolution Tamed: The Case of the Recording Industry (p.269). Springer International Publishing. August 3, 2018. ISBN 9783319930220.
- Hardiman, Jess (2022-05-16). "Avicii Experience Allows You To Explore The Iconic DJ's Life". UNILAD.
- Bain, Katie (2022-02-25). "Take a Tour of Stockholm's Newly Opened Avicii Experience Tribute Museum". Billboard.
- Jabaut, Stephen (2022-02-24). "Avicii Museum Inaugurated by Swedish Royal Family". EDM Tunes.
- Korrs, Ivan (2022-03-29). "Swedish House Mafia Sold Masters To Pop House Ahead Debut Album Release". Music Times.
- Curry, Rhiannon (2022-04-12). "ABBA-backed company hires Harry Potter exec to start London office". Evening Standard.
- Tiefenthaler, Federica (2021-09-08). "Pophouse Entertainment Group's Acquisition of Perfect Day Media". Global Legal Chronicle.
- "Efter uppköpet - Perfect Day Media rekryterar flera chefer inför internationell lansering". Resume. 2022-03-20.
- Trendell, Andrew (2021-09-02). "ABBA Voyage: Pop icons return for new album and "revolutionary" shows". NME.