Tesco has bought digital book platform provider Mobcast as it looks to strengthen its digital entertainment offer.
Mobcast was founded in 2007 by CEO Tony Lynch and bestselling author Andy McNab, and has a catalogue of more than 130,000 titles, available on smartphones, tablets and e-readers.
It also offers a cloud-based service that enables customers build up an e-book library collection without being locked-in to a single device.
Michael Comish, CEO Tesco Digital Entertainment, said: “We want our customers to have the widest choice in digital entertainment. We are already one of the UK’s largest booksellers and Mobcast will help us offer even more choice for the large and growing number of customers who want to buy and enjoy books on their digital devices whenever and wherever they want.”
Tesco is reported to have paid a purchase price of £4.5 million for the company.
The deal follows Tesco’s purchase of internet radio service WE7 in June and movie streaming service Blinkbox last year.
Mobcast chief executive Tony Lynch added: “Since we launched in 2007, we have been passionate about innovation, the digital book market and allowing customers to read across their devices.
“We are delighted the products Mobcast has developed will now be used to introduce the joys of e-book reading to more book lovers in the UK.”
