BMG picks up Sanctuary

THEY SEEK SANCTUARY: BMG Rights Management, which has already acquired Mute from UMG in their EU-directed divestment to approve the EMI merger, has now picked up Sanctuary U.K., a mostly catalog label whose chief artists are Black Sabbath and Megadeth. Sources place the price tag at mid-30 million pounds, or $60 million. That leaves only the European indie sales and marketing company Co-Op and EMI's European interest in the Now series left on the block, with reported bidders including usual suspects Warner Music Group, Sony Music, Fuller-Blackwell, French indie Naive, Eagle Rock and Shout! Factory, among others. (2/14p)