Overview

• Sharon Osbourne has publicly refuted reports that the July 5 ‘Back to the Beginning’ concert raised between $140 million and $190 million, calling them “just ridiculous.”
• She said a six-week audit of artist fees and production costs followed by two weeks of merchandise sales reconciliation is required before final donation figures can be announced.
• The $190 million estimate originated from a now-deleted Instagram post by musical director Tom Morello and was echoed by outlets including Billboard and Rolling Stone.
• Osbourne challenged the reported 5.8 million pay-per-view viewers by stating the livestream sold 275,000 tickets and was also screened at private venues via Mercury Studios.
• Organizers pledged 100% of ticket, livestream and merchandise proceeds to Acorns Children’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Cure Parkinson’s and described the event as a phenomenal success.