Bertelsmann to close BMG-Concord merger in September

What's the deal? BertelsmannDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → expects to complete the merger of its music company BMGDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → with Concord this month, chief financial officer Rolf Hellerman said in the media group's latest financial results. He cited "the expected completion of the transaction to combine BMG and Concord in the third quarter of 2026," which ends in September.

Why now? The merger was announced in late April, with a target of closing in the second half of this year, subject to regulatory approval. Firming up the timeline to this month suggests the process is running smoothly.

By the numbers: BMG posted revenue of €444 million ($515.2 million) for the first half of 2026, up 5% year on year. It recorded an operating Ebitda profit of €127 million, despite "the highest first-half investment in music rights in the company's history."

Those investments included rights from Jelly Roll, Jet, Fuji Music GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Snap!Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → co-founder Luca Anzilotti.

The signal: Combining BMG and Concord folds two sizeable music-rights players into one, a bet on scale as demand for catalogues and publishing rights climbs. Steady revenue growth and record rights spending point to where BMG sees the value — and the merger doubles down on it.

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