中國網站品牌欄目（頻道）
6月25日是流行天王邁克爾?杰克遜去世一周年的紀念日。在這一年里，與他有關的音樂、電影及其它商業產品持續熱銷，帶來了超過十億美元的收入。在杰克遜生命的最后幾年里，他的資產狀況可謂一團糟，欠債大約5億美元，他名下的夢幻莊園也一度面臨被拍賣的艱難境地。
自杰克遜去世后，這一狀況得到明顯改善。去世六周，他的專輯銷量便達到400萬張。截至2010年6月，杰克遜專輯在美國銷售900萬張，全球范圍內2400萬張。出售專輯和提供付費音樂下載給杰克遜遺產帶來大約4.29億美元收入。反映杰克遜生前排練全球巡回演唱會過程的記錄片《就是這樣》的全球票房收入超過2.6億美元，電影DVD銷售和租賃收入則達到6800萬美元。此外，向電視臺銷售這部電影的版權還可為杰克遜遺產創收1500萬美元，而向航空公司和酒店等出售《就是這樣》版權有望獲得2400萬美元。
互聯網上有史以來17首最暢銷R＆B歌曲中，有9首是杰克遜的作品。目前，杰克遜遺產管理人員已經償還了其一半的債務，并有望在明年徹底還清。杰克遜遺產管理人今年3月與索尼音樂娛樂公司簽署一項金額2.5億美元的合同，合同內容包括在2017年前發行10張專輯，索尼獲準在電影、電視、舞臺演出乃至計算機游戲和多媒體平臺上使用杰克遜的音樂。
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Michael Jackson's demise has lent weight to the wry showbusiness maxim that death is the ultimate career move. |
Soaring music sales, a blockbuster movie and an array of commercial spin-offs: Michael Jackson's demise has lent weight to the wry showbusiness maxim that death is the ultimate career move.
In the final years of his life, Jackson's finances were widely reported to be in chaos, with the singer facing foreclosure on his famed Neverland Ranch and struggling with debts of roughly $US500 million.
However in the 12 months since Jackson's death on June 25 last year, the King of Pop's empire has witnessed a money-spinning resurgence, generating revenues estimated at more than $US1 billion.
Jackson's estate has paid off more than half of the singer's debts and is likely to put his affairs back into the black in the coming year.
The financial bonanza began almost immediately, with Jackson selling nearly 4 million records in the six weeks after his death.
By June 2010, total album sales had swollen to 9 million in the United States alone, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
Internationally, Jackson has sold 24 million albums.
Factor in digital downloads - estimated at 26.5 million worldwide - as well as downloads of ringtones and the Jackson estate has raked in around $US429 million from music sales alone.
The astonishing success of Jackson's music is reflected in the fact that the singer now accounts for nine of the 17 bestselling R&B hits in digital history, including Thriller, Billie Jean and Beat It.
Jackson's death has also been no impediment to his recording career.
In March, the administrators of his estate - John Branca and John McClain - inked a deal with Sony Music Entertainment believed to be one of the biggest in history.
The deal is expected to guarantee the Jackson estate as much as $US250 million.
It will see the release of 10 albums over seven years until 2017.
The albums will range from a collection of previously unreleased tracks to re-releases, in particular of 1979's Off The Wall.
The deal also allows Sony and the estate to work together on licensing arrangements for films, television and stage shows using Jackson's music.
Mr Branca says administrators are using Elvis Presley's posthumous empire as a template for how to manage Jackson's legacy.
"To this day there's interest in Elvis. And I think there will be enduring interest in Michael," Mr Branca said when the Sony deal was signed.
"It's our job to continue to expose Michael to new generations."
The blanket worldwide coverage given to Jackson's death has undoubtedly played a part in helping the singer find new audiences.
The This Is It movie, made from rehearsal footage of the singer's comeback concerts, became a hit last year, earning more than $US260 million worldwide at the box office and an additional $US68 million in DVD sales and rentals.
A further $US15 million is expected from the sale of television rights to the film, while licensing for screenings outside theatres - airplanes, hotels, cruise ships - could net around roughly $US24 million.
Mr Branca and Mr McClain have also given their blessing to a groundbreaking Guitar Hero-style video game from manufacturers Ubisoft, where gamers get points for emulating Jackson's signature moonwalk and other dance steps.
Meanwhile, the world famous Cirque du Soleil is planning a series of shows next year inspired by Jackson's music and dance work.
The tour of specially themed shows will kick off late in 2011, with an extended run in Las Vegas.
By late 2012 the Montreal-based contemporary circus troupe aims to have established a permanent performance there.
Jackson's estate owns 50 per cent of each project and will receive royalty payments for the intellectual property used in the shows.
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(Agencies)
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）
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