HarperCollins Publishers and Fox Family Worldwide Announce Alliance

Posted on May 7, 1999

HarperCollins Publishers and Fox Family Worldwide have announced a strategic alliance joining the two companies in a publishing alliance over five years. Under the agreement, HarperCollins will expand its entertainment publishing program with the right to publish books related to certain Fox Family Worldwide children's television programming properties.

The alliance will kick off with the publication of a variety of books based on Fox Kids Network's hit live-action series Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog. HarperEntertainment, a division of HarperCollins, will publish a series of action-packed novelizations based on the show which, filmed entirely in Ireland, presents mythical adventures filled with magical knights and fire-breathing dragons. Designed to maximize reader interaction, the books will invite readers to choose the outcome of each adventure.

"This alliance presents a tremendous opportunity for us to work closely with a sister NewsCorp. Company to maximize the reach and impact of our respective products, taking full advantage of the synergies available as part of a large media company," said Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers. "We are thrilled to further our relationship with Fox Family Worldwide in what is clearly a win-win situation."

"This new business relationship with HarperCollins is a perfect fit for Fox Family Worldwide and our vast array of entertainment properties," said Elie Dekel, Executive Vice President of Fox Family Worldwide Consumer Products and Promotions. "HarperCollins has a proven track record of successfully extending entertainment brands into very compelling books. Working together, we are uniquely positioned to deliver exciting, new books based on some of the strongest kids entertainment brands."

The agreement formalizes a relationship that has developed over the last few years with the publication of several books by HarperCollins as tie-ins to the Fox Family Channel pre-school series, The All New Captain Kangaroo.