Elvis Rocks On

2009 attendance rose at Graceland and Elvis' royalties are up.

Image: courtesy Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc.

Elvis may have left the building, but his star power is still growing.

Elvis Presley Enterprises parent company CKx Inc.'s annual report released Tuesday showed a 34.6 percent increase in Presley royalties and licensing revenue.

The Presley business segment of CKx brought in $24.473 million in royalties and licensing revenue in 2009, compared to $18.186 million in 2008.

Attendance at Elvis’ Memphis, Tennessee, home was also up in 2009. 542,728 people went to Graceland in 2009, a 1.2 percent increase compared to 536,196 in 2008.

Revenue from Graceland’s operations fell slightly to $36.124 million in 2009, a 1.6 percent drop compared to $36.713 million in 2008.

CKx, which owns 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises, also noted in the report that its planned, $250 million redevelopment initiative for Graceland would need some retooling due to economic conditions.

CKx wrote off $900,000 in deferred costs related to preliminary design work for the redevelopment, but also said it “remains committed to the Graceland redevelopment and will continue to pursue opportunities on its own or with third parties.”

CKx, through a partnership with Cirque du Soleil, recently opened a permanent live theatrical show based on the life, times and music of Elvis. The show, presented at the new Aria Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas strip, opened performances in February.