The pact is the biggest ever awarded, surpassing the $60 million mark shared by superstars Michael Jackson, Janet's brother, and Madonna, whose six-album deals included film and joint-venture record label components.
The 29-year-old entertainer has been the target of a ferocious industry bidding war since her Virgin contract expired last year.
But executives at Disney, who courted Jackson heavily, as well as at Sony, PolyGram, Bertelsmann, Time Warner and DreamWorks ultimately dropped out of the bidding because they felt their companies couldn't make enough money under the terms sought by Jackson.
Industry reaction to the deal was mixed. Analysts and executives agreed that Jackson is worth a hefty price but many felt the deal she was after went too far.
"A deal of this size is a huge risk," said Harold Vogel, entertainment industry analyst at Cowen & Co. "It's true that an artist of Janet Jackson's stature adds prestige to a roster and functions as a magnet to draw other acts to the company. But just like in the movie business, the price of these music industry bidding wars just keeps escalating and tends to sap the profitability of the companies who participate."
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