Apple has decided not to stock physical copies of Adele's latest release, "25," upon its release next month. According to a new report, Adele and her label suggested the move, along with a $30 million corporate sponsorship deal, which Apple is still considering.
Adele is certainly on a roll right now. The UK singer/songwriter has a bonafide smash with her new hit single "Hello," which has already broken YouTube viewing records and has racked up a whopping 130 million-plus views in less than a week. The song itself is on track to reach number one on Billboard's next Hot 100 chart, and social media is buzzing over the release of her upcoming album.
Apple, however, isn't buying into Adele mania lock, stock and barrel. The tech company has reportedly declined an offer from Adele's team to stock physical copies of her new album "25" in Apple retail stores when it hits the shelves on Nov. 20, although it is apparently considering another offer for corporate sponsorship of her upcoming world tour.
Apple's rejection of Adele's offer to sell her CD in its brick and mortar locations makes perfect sense, considering that the company is pulling out all the stops to promote its new Apple Music streaming service. The company has apparently prioritized the promotion of its new streamer over sales of digital downloads via iTunes, so it stands to reason it would not sign on to promote sales of a relatively antiquated format, the physical CD, regardless of the popularity of the artist.
Apple is, however, apparently considering participating in Adele's promotional juggernaut via another avenue — corporate tour sponsorship. The singer's agents at William Morris Endeavor (WME) are apparently pitching a $30 million deal to Apple, which would ostensibly include some sort of Apple Music exclusivity window for the new album upon release.
Initial reports indicate that number, which is 10 times the usual corporate sponsorship fee for a deal of its kind, is unrealistic, and that Adele's team needs to adjust its offer to something more reasonable. Apple, however, has a lot riding on its new streaming service, from both a business and a reputation standpoint, and the exclusivity window may actually have more value in both of those regards than the sponsorship itself.
