Alvin And The Chipmunks Franchise For Sale For An Eye-Popping Amount
The mid-20th century was an exciting time for the music industry, as some of the most influential artists in history were on the rise. Elvis Presley took over the radio, Motown Records standouts like Marvin Gaye and The Supremes scaled the charts, and groups such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Jackson 5 found their footing years to come. Meanwhile, Ross Bagdasarian took a unique approach to leaving his mark on the era's musical landscape by creating Alvin and the Chipmunks: a fictional trio of singing rodents.
Following their arrival in 1958, the popularity of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore (all originally portrayed by Bagdasarian) soared, and they began picking up accolades — including five Grammy Awards — left and right. These days, however, they're recognized best as big and small screen icons, having starred in multiple animated shows as well as four live-action-animation hybrid movies. Not to mention, they're extremely marketable, hence why companies continue to plaster their little fuzzy faces on various pieces of merchandise all these years later.
In short, the Alvin and the Chipmunks brand is a valuable one that holds loads of potential. Although, for any company out there seeking to purchase the rights, doing so won't be a cheap endeavor.
The property comes with a $300 million price tag
As revealed by CNBC on November 2, 2021, the longtime home of Alvin and the Chipmunks, Bagdasarian Productions, seeks to sell the franchise off. The company's current owners, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. and his wife, Janice Karman, have reportedly spoken to several interested buyers as of late — including ViacomCBS — but they've yet to seal the deal. According to the sources close to the negotiations, Bagdasarian Productions hopes to earn a whopping $300 million from the IP, which may seem like a mammoth number until you take a closer look at the overall situation.
We live in an era of sequels, reboots, and revivals that has shown us that not a single title is off-limits. "Ghostbusters" has returned to theaters once again, "Dexter" is back for another season, Nickelodeon is building an entire "Avatar: The Last Airbender" universe, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. As streaming has increased its influence, companies are scrambling to add beloved franchises to their libraries in hopes of bringing in new subscribers. Alvin and the Chipmunks is a classic property with worldwide appeal that would prove itself a wise investment in no time. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Bagdasarian Productions isn't willing to let it go for less than it's worth.
Even though the $300 million price tag is a bit daunting, it stands to reason that Alvin and the Chipmunks will eventually sell. Where it will go and what will come of its purchase are questions that only time can answer.