Recorded Books Acquires christianaudio

Recorded Books Inc., a leading provider of unabridged audiobooks and digital content to the library, school, and retail markets, announced today that it is has acquired eChristian Inc., a publisher of Christian audiobooks that operates under the christianaudio brand and is based in Escondido, California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This marks the third acquisition for Recorded Books, following the additions of HighBridge Company and Tantor Media in 2014. Recorded Books now boasts a catalog of over 27,000 unabridged audiobooks, making it one of the industry's largest. Recorded Books is owned by Shamrock Capital Advisors.

Christianaudio's catalog includes over 1,400 titles, representing both fiction and non-fiction genres, ranging from the classic works of John Bunyan and Dietrich Bonhoeffer to contemporary bestsellers including Priscila Shirer, John Piper, and Beth Moore. "Recorded Books has an extensive and diverse audiobook catalog, and this acquisition proves a valuable opportunity to strengthen that position," said Ed Longo, Chief Operating Officer. Recorded Books' Inspirational Imprint has been available to the library market for more than a dozen years with many of those titles available alongside christianaudio's collection in the retail market as well. Cory Verner, General Manager and Publisher of christianaudio added "Recorded Books is the perfect partner for christianaudio. I am excited about what this means for the continued growth of our publishing program and strength in the Christian audio space."

According to Troy Juliar, Recorded Books' Chief Content Officer, "we look forward to showcasing both companies' capabilities in securing the best authors and producing the highest quality recordings to become the industry leader of Christian audio content." Todd Hoyt, CEO of eChristian, added that "I am personally thankful for the last 12 years and humbled by the many employees, partners, ministries, publishers, and authors who had a part in fulfilling the goals of the company, and I am thrilled to see that mission continue."

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP served as legal advisor to Recorded Books.

About Recorded Books, Inc.
Recorded Books is the largest independent publisher of unabridged audiobooks and provider of digital media to consumer, retail, professional, school, library and infotainment markets. The company owns an exclusive catalog of more than 27,000 audiobook titles narrated by professional, award-winning actors. Recorded Books also provides digital audiobooks and eBooks, as well as other compelling third-party content, including digital magazines and films. The company operates in the United Kingdom through its W. F. Howes subsidiary and in Australia through its Wavesound subsidiary. Recorded Books was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Prince Frederick, MD. For more information, visit recordedbooks.com.