How much does it cost one of the world’s biggest tech companies to maintain control of the world’s most famous spy? About $20 million.
In February, Amazon announced it had reached a deal with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the longtime managers of the James Bond franchise, to give the tech company full control of the character and associated intellectual property.
Now, a new tax filing for EON Productions in the UK puts a figure on that sale price, and it’s significantly lower than many observers might have thought. Although the filing focuses on the company’s financial results for 2024, a section on subsequent events notes that:
“On February 20, 2025, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale of its interest in the Bond franchise, all associated assets as well as its subsidiaries, B24 Limited and B25 Limited. The total consideration for the sale is $20 million (USD).”
Of course, as the original deal revealed, the Broccoli family will continue to have economic exposure to the Bond franchise through the joint venture structure of the deal. It is also possible that there are other items such as earnouts (in which additional payments are made if certain conditions are met), bonuses or stock options that could impact the value of the final sale price. Sources said at the time that the total value could be closer to $1 billion.
Bond’s intellectual property was owned by Delaware-based Danjaq, LLC, but last month a new entity called London Operations, LLC filed trademarks for James Bond-related matters, suggesting it is the new holding company for the family’s Amazon-Broccoli joint venture. London Operations shares a Culver City address with Amazon and was established in Delaware in November 2024.
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on this information.
The initial deal was stunning, with the Broccoli family controlling Bond for decades, but with Amazon MGM as a financial partner. The move has been the talk of Hollywood for weeks, with everyone wondering what it means for the family’s future in the business and Amazon’s ambitions in its quest for blue-chip intellectual property.
The tech company then hired Amy Pascal and David Heyman to help direct the new film and launched Dune director Denis Villeneuve will direct the next opus.
As for what Broccoli, Wilson and EON have in store, well, that’s also in the new filing:
“Looking forward, a significant strategic change is expected following the sale after the end of the year of the Group’s interest in the Bond franchise, its subsidiaries and associated assets,” the filing said. “This sale marks a significant change in the direction of the Group. The main focus going forward will be continued investment in smaller scale films and independent productions.”
