Michael Jackson Estate Nearing Sale Of Music Catalog In Deal Reported At $800-$900M

© Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1986.

The estate of Michael Jackson is reportedly nearing a sale of the late King of Pop's music catalog in a deal estimated at between $800-$900 million.

According to a report from Variety, three sources confirmed that Sony Music, potentially in a partnership, is negotiating to purchase a 50-per-cent interest in Jackson's publishing, which includes the “MJ: The Musical” Broadway show, the upcoming big-screen biopic “Michael” and other assets.

Sony has previously coughed up big bucks for the catalogs of other top music artists, including acquiring the rights to Bruce Springsteen’s publishing and recorded-music catalogs for reported $600 million, and rights to Bob Dylan’s recorded-music catalog for a sum reported to be between $150 million and $200 million.

The deal makes sense given that Sony and its predecessor, CBS, was Jackson's label for the entirety of his solo career.

As Variety points out, Jackson's recorded-music catalog is one of the most lucrative ever, with the late star's 1982 Thriller album one of the two top-selling albums in history, and the first album to ever be certified 30-times platinum.