The World's Most Successful CD Compilation Series 'NOW That's What I Call Music!' Joins Forces With 'American Idol' Creator Simon Fuller to Create Global Music Show

The World's Most Successful CD Compilation Series 'NOW That's What I Call Music!' Joins Forces With 'American Idol' Creator Simon Fuller to Create Global Music Show

Announcement Comes On 10th Anniversary of NOW That's What I Call Music!

NEW YORK, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's best-selling CD compilation series, NOW That's What I Call Music!, is to partner with Simon Fuller - founder of 19 Entertainment, and creator of "American Idol" - to bring the NOW brand to television and the internet.

The announcement comes as NOW celebrates a decade of hits in the United States with a 10th anniversary CD, and coincides with NOW UK's 25th birthday. The NOW series has been called the "most successful brand in music" and has sold over 72 million CDs in the US alone. A worldwide phenomenon, NOW has topped the charts all over the world and is available in territories as diverse as South Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

"Mr. Fuller is negotiating on behalf of the 19 Entertainment/NOW partnership, beginning with a US network television show," says Bob Mercer, Chief Executive of NOW.

Although details of the show's content are still under wraps, Mr. Mercer says it will be an interactive program using both TV and the internet.

He says NOW is excited to partner with Simon Fuller to bring to life one of the world's best known music brands of all time.

"Simon believes as I do that NOW is a perfect window to what is current and happening in the music world today. Adding his un-matched TV expertise will make this a unique program," says Mercer.

"I am excited by the prospect of this partnership with NOW because I think we have the opportunity to create an important and innovative new music show," says Simon Fuller. "Music reaches out across boundaries and cultural borders; a global music show can take a song to any part of the planet, and the first performance of new songs and videos will become real events, just like they used to be."

In addition to featuring the current hits on each show, there will be a segment in which new music is highlighted - something which could lead to fans discovering the next NOW stars before they have hit songs.

The NOW That's What I Call Music! series is a compilation joint venture from EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Group. The series debuted in the United States in 1998 after the NOW brand had been an enormous, multi-platinum international success for nearly 20 years.

To date, the NOW series has generated worldwide sales of over 200 million CDs. NOW's collective releases sell more than any other music property each year, and remain the only non-soundtrack, multi-artist series to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.

NOW and NOW That's What I Call Music! are registered trademarks of EMI (IP) Limited.

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Source: NOW That?s What I Call Music!

CONTACT: Rob Goldstone of Oui 2 Public Relations, +1-212-541-5698,
rob@oui2.com, for NOW That's What I Call Music!; or Eric Green of BWR Public
Relations, +1-310-550-7776, for 19 Entertainment

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Profile: International Entertainment