Recently we reported on third-quarter dealmaking trends in the US, with a relatively strong performance falling a little below last year’s big quarter — just as Bookscan-monitored print sales have been strong but ebbing a little in comparison to 2020. We also flagged a falloff in debut fiction sales. Now we turn to another of our longstanding comparisons, looking at dealmaking in the shorter “pre-Frankfurt” window of the last five weeks plus two days. (Frankfurt is a week later than usual this year, so our count includes one extra, starting the Monday after Labor Day; the last longer season like […]
Deals
Third Quarter Deal Trends
Next week we will report on dealmaking in the six-week “pre-Frankfurt” window, but first we present the next installment in this year’s new look at quarterly deal trends. The first half of 2021 saw a marked surge in dealmaking, in line with record increases in consumer book sales: First quarter 2021 US deal volume was 19 percent higher than in 2020, and second quarter deal volume remained 18 percent higher than the same quarter the previous year. Those increases in deal volume tracked very closely with Bookscan print unit data, which showed sales at measured outlets up 18.4 percent in […]
Acquisitions: Artfilms to Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury Publishing has acquired the digital video and business assets of Artfilms, the video streaming service of Contemporary Arts Media. The collection of films from around the world includes documentaries, interviews, and masterclasses. Bloomsbury noted in a release, “This acquisition aligns with the overall mission of Bloomsbury Digital Resources to serve a global community of students, scholars, instructors, and librarians by providing creative online research and learning environments that deliver excellence and originality.” Bloomsbury Digital Resources managing director Kathryn Earle said: “The content aligns beautifully with our existing strengths – most notably in the visual and performing arts — and […]
Acquisitions: Netflix Buys Roald Dahl Story Company
Netflix has a deal to acquire outright the literary works of Roald Dahl and the company that manages and exploits them, the Roald Dahl Story Company. After licensing adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda The Musical, Netflix said, “These projects opened our eyes to a much more ambitious venture – the creation of a unique universe across animated and live action films and TV, publishing, games, immersive experiences, live theatre, consumer products and more.” Based in the UK, the Roald Dahl Story Company has 26 full-time employees, led by managing director Luke Kelly. Separately, ILP said at […]
Reese’s Book Club Partners with Google Assistant
The newest deal for Reese’s Book Club and Hello Sunshine will direct fans to purchase recommended titles from the Google Play store. They are pairing with Google Assistant and its universe of smart devices; the verbal instruction, “Hey Google, read with Reese’s Book Club” will be answered with commentary and reviews from Reese Witherspoon and personalized reading recommendations and other features. In its early days Reese’s Book Club struck a very successful exclusive relationship with Audible. As we reported exclusively in February when the club launched its new app and dedicated website, the Audible partnership was ended. Hello Sunshine ceo […]
Harry Stories
Prince Harry’s book deal with Penguin Random House will provide a steady stream of rumors and stories. Over the weekend, the Daily Mail reported — based on what seems to be a single source — that, plausibly, the overall deal was for four books and, less plausibly, that it includes a second memoir to be published “when his granny dies.” Lawyers for the prince told the paper that their claims were “false and defamatory” and a statement indicated, “Prince Harry has no plans to publish a second memoir after Queen Elizabeth’s death.” There was no direct denial of an agreement […]