We’ve been hearing about a Spice Girls reunion for ages. The last time they all performed together was at the 2012 Olympics in London, with Victoria reportedly holding out until the last minute, and before that they all went on tour in 2008. The tour was successful but ended early for some reason, with dates canceled amid rumors that Mel B (Scary) and Mel C (Sporty) left the group. The official reason given was that the wanted to spend more time with their families.
Now some of the original Spice Girls are coming back for a reunion concert: Mel B (Scary), Emma Bunton (Baby), and Geri Halliwell (Ginger). Mel C (Sporty) and Victoria Beckham (Posh) have reportedly refused so far. It’s expected that Victoria wouldn’t participate but it’s said to have been a surprise that Mel C wasn’t on board, especially because there’s a huge payday involved. The NY Daily News is reporting that, with ticket sales, sponsorships, pay-per-view fees and appearances, each of the participating Spice Girls will rake in $14 million EACH. That’s for just one concert! Of course if they land a Vegas residency they could be rolling in it.
The three Spice Girls who’ll be reuniting for a show in London’s Hyde Park next summer stand to take home a staggering $14 million-plus each for the one-off gig, according to an industry insider.
For a two-hour show, that adds up to well over $100,000 a minute for the trio, who’ve dubbed themselves GEM.
After months of speculation about a reunion to mark the 20th anniversary of “Wannabe,” the debut single that rocketed the Girls to international stardom, Melanie (Scary Spice) Brown, Geri (Ginger Spice) Halliwell and Emma (Baby Spice) Bunton confirmed they’ll be teaming up for the massive show next summer — minus Victoria Beckham (Posh) and Melanie Chisholm (Sporty), who so far have declined to take part.
“GEM may not have Posh and Sporty, but the commercial opportunities for the girls is still huge,” says our insider, who says global conglomerates eager to latch onto a “nostalgia comeback” create massive endorsement and sponsorship potential.
“Banks and credit card companies will splash a million a go to be a lesser sponsor but still have VIP hospitality areas.
“The rest of the business takes cares of itself easily if the girls get the show and promotion right.”
The trio can expect to rake in $21 million in sponsorship and endorsement deals, says our source.
They also stand to spice up their savings accounts with $6.5 million in ticket sales, meet-and-greets and another $5.25 million in pay-per-view and on-demand deals. The “2 Become 1” singers could pull in an additional $5 million for a TV documentary and live CD and DVD sales.
And that’s all without setting foot in the US. The girls had been offered a Las Vegas residency, but only with the full five-woman lineup. “However if GEM get momentum then they are sure to be offered something here,” says our insider.
Maybe the Daily News’ source is overestimating, but they’re still going to make a ton of money. Last month, Life and Style reported that the Spice Girls would be holding tryouts to replace Posh and Sporty, but we haven’t heard anything about that yet. As the article mentions, they have made the a sort-of official announcement that three of them will be reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wannabe (which came out in 1996!). The British tabloids claim that the reunion concert will take place next summer in Hyde Park. I would guess that they’re hoping that Mel C will join them at least. I doubt they expect Victoria to show up. This is no longer her thing, and she recently admitted that she’s such a bad singer they used to just turn her mic off during concerts.
photos credit: WENN and FameFlynet
Maybe I am stating the obvious,I think this is really just because they need the money, Victoria has always been aloof but atleast her and her husband are loaded. I wonder what the rests networth is at this point.
Victoria doesn’t need the Spice Girls anymore, she’s more well known now for her fashion range and the Beckham brand is worth millions. Melanie C does a lot in the West End (I know she was in a few shows). So yes, i agree the others need the money and/or the PR exposure. Neither of these 3 have had any lasting careers after the group split, both Baby and Scary desperately tried to get into acting.
It’s primarily Mel B who has been pushing for this reunion and needs money the most.
She’s the sole breadwinner in her family and has high expenses.
Geri recently married Christian Horner who is team principal over at Red Bull. He definitely has money but I don’t think F1 is profiting anyone who isn’t a driver (or Bernie) enough money that they’d turn down $14 million .
I never expected Posh to be the most successful one. I thought Mel B was gonna have a great solo career. Now posh is the uninterested one. Life comes at you fast
I like Vicky, but she wouldn’t be where she is if she didn’t marry David, who at one point was the most famous athlete in the world.
I think I read somewhere that Mel C had the most successful solo career, in terms of money she made after their breakup.
They helped each other’s careers so it would be erroneous to say it’s cos of David that she’s so well known. Heck the chick was part of the highest selling girl group of all time (although I think Destiny’s Child has that now).
Most famous athlete in the world? That’s a reach considering Ronaldinho and Brazilian Ronaldo were playing then.
Maybe he was the most famous in the UK and US but then again don’t you see how bring with Posh made that possible ? They were a power couple, bigger than sum of their individual parts.
Becks took great free kicks but how many times did he make Ballon D’Or top 3? or make FIFA starting XI? Or even won player of the season in his own club? Don’t get me wrong, Becks was an above average player but more than half of that fame came from being with Posh.
I absolutely heart them
Never forgetting the great Zinedine Zidane who played in the same era. Beckham was barely a blimp in the Real Madrid team he joined which had all the great players. His PR routinely liked to call him the greatest player in the world of his era, but that was always laughable considering Zidane, Rinaldo and others who were in that same era.
Posh and David have one of the best managers in the entertainment business in Simon Fuller. Up there with Benny Medina. Simon made the Spice Girls super successful. They all floundered when they left his stable. Posh was self aware enough to return to him, and she brought David with her when she re-signed with him. She’s never looked back.
I didn’t say he was the greatest football player. I said most famous. Beckham was a good player, but he wasn’t he best. However, I think he was most well known, even to people who didn’t follow football. His fashion ( which was horrible), relationship with Posh and the British press’ tendency to overhype everything that comes fron the island, made him into a superstar. But you are right, they were mutually beneficial to eachother.
But he wasn’t the most famous athlete or even Footballer for that matter. He had good or that was all.
@LAK, for comparison, he was a taller version of Eden Hazard and that’s saying something. The man was no Cristiano, Ronaldo, Zidane, Robinson, Ronaldinho or Xavi. But his free kicks were out of this world
I absolutely love the Spice Girls and never had the chance to see a concert live and as a die-hard fan I’m very sad to say I wouldn’t pay to watch only three of them.
I didn’t get to see them in the ’90s or when they went on their reunion tour in ’08, so I would *totally* see them now … if it were four of them, not three. Like you, I’m not paying for only three.
saw them during their hey day. Scary Spice is downright gorgeous in person
I’m too young to remeber them really, and they were never big in my country, but I don’t understand their popularity. Their songs are horrible bubblegum pop, why were they so popular? Why on Earth are they still popular now?
You may not be a fan of their songs, but a lot of people enjoyed them.
Yeah, but I’d think they’d be remebered like a trashy 90s group, not as something actually iconic. The way people here still make 90s eurodance parties. People enjoy it, but they don’t actually think it was good.
Don’t bash good pop music – and the Spice Girls first 2 albums were definitely good, and that kind of music (while associated with a certain point in time, of course) has a timeless quality. It may not be your cup of tea, but I could go out to a park and turn on Wannabe and I guarantee people would not just know it, but sing along.
I’m very curious about what country you are talking about!
It’s outside the Spice World.
I’m still surprised Mel B hasn’t turned out to be a solo singing superstar. She had great collaborations with Missy Elliot and her solo efforts were really good.
I’m surprised Geri has agreed to this as she is now pushing hard her society lady who lunches persona.
I’m unsurprised that Posh and sporty turned this down as they’ve always been the most reluctant pop stars after their initial heyday. Sporty had a sort of solo pop career, but she has been very firm about her acting ambitions. Ditto Posh and her fashion ambitions.
Completely unsurprised by baby spice who has had the least success in her post Spice Girls career.
ITA – these 3 were always the ones that seemed desperate for fame and fortune and have clung to the Spice Girls. The other 2 moved on and carved out different paths for themselves.
As a group they were something special but as individuals not so much.
Baby Spice actually lives the most low-key life of all and does radio now with Jamie Theakston.
Of all of them, I’m willing to bet Emma Bunton is the one who has been wise in spending/preserving her Spice money.
Though Geri and Victoria married well.
I would have loved to see the Spice Girls reunite (They were the only highlight of London 2012 opening for me), but its also all or nothing… It just makes it seem that the remaining three are only in it for the money, not for love.
*Sidenote – I thought Geri was Melissa Joan Hart in the thumbnail!
They probably need the money, and they’ll have fun. I don’t think they’re really desperate for fame, I think they’re just grateful they still have something they can do to make a sh!tlioad of money. I wish I could make a few mil that easily. My only chance is the lottery and I don’t think my odds are all that great…
Well…Posh was only relevant for her faces and poses, not her voice.
i went to their last reunion tour and sporty and baby were the only ones who sang live. it will be interesting to see who replaces sporty. her voice was really strong live.