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Blockbuster to Add Audiobooks
Trudi M. Rosenblum -- 6/19/00

Blockbuster Inc. has partnered with Austin, Tex.-based audio-only chain Earful of Books Inc. to add audiobook rental centers to Blockbuster video stores. The deal calls for Earful of Books to open more than 150 corporate and franchise locations in existing Blockbuster stores within the next three years. The first markets for the joint venture will likely include Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Ph nix, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, New York City and Atlanta. Earful of Books will also participate in Blockbuster's marketing and advertising programs, and co-promote to build mutual and crossover traffic at co-located stores.

"The Blockbuster-Earful alliance reinforces our commitment to not only provide our members with the widest selection of rentable entertainment in whatever format they desire, but to provide them with the best customer service and selection," Mike R mer, executive v-p of Blockbuster, said in a statement.

"The opportunity to become aligned with Blockbuster, one of the most highly respected and recognized retailers in the country, will greatly accelerate the national growth of our audiobook retail concept," said Paul Rush, president and founder of Earful of Books and president of the Audio Publishers Association. "We expect to attract new audiences, since Blockbuster's customer base enjoys its products primarily at home, and Earful's customer base largely uses audios in cars."

Jenny Frost, president and publisher of the Random House Audiobook Group, said the joint venture was good news for the audiobook industry as a whole. "We're enormously pleased to know about the enthusiasm and support Blockbuster is bringing to the audiobook business through its alliance with Earful," she said. "It can only help fuel consumer awareness of audiobooks."

Earful of Books has 14 stores, including locations in Texas, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin, with 32 new stores under development.
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