ViacomCBS announces sale of Simon & Schuster to Penguin Random House for $2.175 billion

Simon & Schuster will shortly be leaving ViacomCBS for Penguin Random House

DECEMBER 8, 2020 - ViacomCBS recently announced the sale of publishing company Simon & Schuster to the world's largest book publisher, Penguin Random House. The sale comes following a highly competitive auction and Penguin Random House will acquire the company for a cool $2.175 billion in cash.

Simon & Schuster - one of the largest publishers of Star Trek books - was put up for sale in March of this year, following a review of assets by ViacomCBS. Pending regulatory approval, the sale is expected to be finalized some time in 2021. Funds from the sale will be used to invest in strategic growth priorities, streaming services, and helping to fund the dividend and pay company debts. After the sale, Simon & Schuster will continue to operate as a separate publishing unit under the expansive Penguin Random House umbrella. 

ViacomCBS has owned Simon & Schuster since the mid-1990s, with the property being retained by CBS when Viacom and CBS split, back in 2005. Simon & Schuster is the publishing home to many notable authors, including Stephen King, Bob Woodward, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. It is also the home to more than 800 Star Trek books, audiobooks and ebooks. There’s no word yet on what the sale of Simon & Schuster means for the future of Star Trek titles under their license, but you can be sure that Daily Star Trek News will keep you up to date on the details as we learn them.