AOL Europe, N2K Partner

AOL Europe and N2K Inc.
today announced an agreement under which N2K subsidiary Music Boulevard becomes the exclusive music partner for America Online services in Europe.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

This latest announcement extends the America Online-Music Boulevard partnership; the music site was previously appointed the exclusive music retailer in AOL’s MusicSpace and in other areas of the AOL site. Music Boulevard also partnered with AOL Japan in June 1997.

Today’s agreement calls for N2K and AOL Europe to co-brand local-language versions of Music Boulevard in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

“This agreement indicates that key commerce partners are beginning to recognize the value of the international Internet online marketplace,” said Jack Davies, President, AOL International. “With its local distribution network, locally-generated music entertainment and music titles, N2K’s Music Boulevard is clearly the best online music retailing choice for AOL Europe.”

“One of our main goals is to make our members’ activities in the online world easier and more convenient, and from working with N2K in the past we know that Music Boulevard makes buying music easier, faster, and more convenient than ever before.”

AOL Europe is a joint venture between America Online and German media
company Bertelsman
AG. Bertelsmann currently holds 5.4 million AOL shares, after selling
off 900,000 shares on April 8, 1998.

Bertelsmann also has a European partnership with Lycos–Lycos-Bertelsmann. On April
8 Lycos-Bertelsmann named N2K rival CDnow as its exclusive Internet music retailer.