In the latest example of cross-media marketing, two publishers have teamed up with TV networks to give their books greater reach.

Hyperion has leaned on ESPN, its Disney cousin, for a new line of sports books. ESPN Sports Century, edited by Michael McCambridge and with a foreword by David Halberstam, is the latest title from ESPN Books, an imprint that draws creative and strategic direction from both publisher and network. Arranged by decade, the book features 10 different figures, with a notable writer commenting on each. Promotion has taken place on ESPN, on anchor Chris Berman's TV satellite tour, at signings at ESPN restaurant The Zone, on sports radio stations and in ads in the New York Times Book Review, among others. There are currently more than 200,000 copies in print.

The book, labeled a co-venture between ESPN Books and Hyperion, follows such titles as the third annual ESPN Information Please Almanac, ESPN Did You Know and ESPN: The Ultimate Pro Football Guide. In May, Hyperion is planning a collection of writings from ESPN anchor and ESPN: The Magazine contributor Dan Patrick.

ESPN Books is not an imprint in the conventional sense; Gretchen Young, an editor at Hyperion, is also the editor of ESPN Books. Marketing dollars come from both sources, and while ESPN provides branded stars like Chris Berman for tours, it is Hyperion that supplies much of the distribution and publishing know-how.

Hyperion isn't the only house to benefit from a network. After Penguin CEO Michael Lynton expressed interest in late-night host Conan O'Brien, Berkley co-publisher Julie Grau approached NBC producers about a project with O'Brien. The result is the newly released In the Year 2000, based on the running skit in which O'Brien and several co-stars make absurd predictions about the coming millennium.

Again, the publisher has drawn on the power of the network, as well as O'Brien's own promotion. NBC shares in the profits (the contract was signed with it, not with O'Brien), lending it extra incentive to promote the title. "It's incredible to have the kind of reach that comes through a TV network," Grau said. "It's something that's usually beyond the financial reach of most publishers' budgets." The partnership has paid off: there are currently 55,000 copies in print after four trips to press. Grau added that there are no definite plans for future titles, though she noted the house is always looking for partnerships like this.