Sony and Primedia Partner To Combine Soap Opera Websites

Posted on April 7, 2000

Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment and Primedia have announced they have signed a letter of intent to combine the two companies' soap opera enthusiast websites. Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment owns SoapCity.com, and produces two soap opera television shows: The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives (with Corday Productions). Primedia owns the print magazines Soap Opera Digest and Soap Opera Weekly, and operates Soapdigest.com, a website for soap opera fans.

Tom Rogers, chairman and chief executive officer of Primedia, says in a statement, "The combination of these two Web sites creates an online juggernaut for the soap opera fan - fans who are passionate about soaps - and Primedia is all about servicing passions. SoapCity.com is the first choice among online soap opera fans and is regarded as the marquee Web site of leading soap opera shows and stars. Sony's two televised soap operas reach millions of viewers each day. Combined with our strength in editorial content, commitment to the online community and a passion for serving the soap opera category, this new venture will leverage leading-edge technology to offer compelling information across multiple platforms."

``Soap Opera Digest is the marquis brand name in the industry,'' said Yair Landau, president, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment. ``We are thrilled to partner with Primedia on this venture and look forward to creating a site that is dynamic, content-rich and technologically state-of-the-art. We look forward to an aggressive cross-promotion program on both Primedia's print publications - Soap Opera Digest and Soap Opera Weekly - as well as on our leading televised soap opera productions.''