中国网站品牌栏目（频道）
6月25日是流行天王迈克尔•杰克逊去世一周年的纪念日。在这一年里，与他有关的音乐、电影及其它商业产品持续热销，带来了超过十亿美元的收入。在杰克逊生命的最后几年里，他的资产状况可谓一团糟，欠债大约5亿美元，他名下的梦幻庄园也一度面临被拍卖的艰难境地。
自杰克逊去世后，这一状况得到明显改善。去世六周，他的专辑销量便达到400万张。截至2010年6月，杰克逊专辑在美国销售900万张，全球范围内2400万张。出售专辑和提供付费音乐下载给杰克逊遗产带来大约4.29亿美元收入。反映杰克逊生前排练全球巡回演唱会过程的记录片《就是这样》的全球票房收入超过2.6亿美元，电影DVD销售和租赁收入则达到6800万美元。此外，向电视台销售这部电影的版权还可为杰克逊遗产创收1500万美元，而向航空公司和酒店等出售《就是这样》版权有望获得2400万美元。
互联网上有史以来17首最畅销R＆B歌曲中，有9首是杰克逊的作品。目前，杰克逊遗产管理人员已经偿还了其一半的债务，并有望在明年彻底还清。杰克逊遗产管理人今年3月与索尼音乐娱乐公司签署一项金额2.5亿美元的合同，合同内容包括在2017年前发行10张专辑，索尼获准在电影、电视、舞台演出乃至计算机游戏和多媒体平台上使用杰克逊的音乐。
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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)
（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）
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