Entertainment company whynow, founded by Gabe Jagger, has acquired Warner Music Group’s EMP Merchandise, a leading European retailer of rock and pop culture merchandise. The deal supports whynow’s goal of building a “global platform connecting artists, brands, and fans.”
What changes
EMP joins whynow’s existing media, licensing and commerce businesses. The company says the combination creates new ways for artists and rights holders to grow fan communities, deepen engagement and find new revenue. whynow will open a major European base in Berlin to anchor expansion across mainland Europe, while its global headquarters stays in London. Existing customers, partners and suppliers will keep working with their current teams while a phased integration begins.
About EMP
In its 40 years, EMP has grown into Europe’s leading rock and pop culture merch retailer, with more than 10 million customers and a reputation as the top online destination for rock and metal merchandise. It runs one of Europe’s largest licensed merchandise catalogs and works with hundreds of music, entertainment and lifestyle brands through its direct-to-consumer platform.
What the executives said
“whynow was built around the idea that great content, commerce, and community belong together. Bringing EMP into the group adds Europe’s leading rock and metal fan ecosystem to that vision. Where many artists today work with four or five different partners, we’re creating one integrated platform designed to help them build audiences, strengthen fan relationships, and grow their businesses.”
That was Jagger, whynow’s founder and CEO. Fred Casimir, president of whynow Europe and managing director at EMP, added:
“EMP has built one of the world’s largest fan communities. By bringing EMP into whynow, we are significantly expanding our platform, enabling artists and rights holders to manage and grow their audience ecosystem through a single partner, spanning merchandising, e-commerce, licensing, and media content.”
