Rakuten Kobo expands digital reading offering in the US and UK with Kobo Plus, the all-you-can-read and listen subscription

TORONTO – April 5, 2023 – Leading digital reading retailer and publisher Rakuten Kobo announces the US and UK launches of Kobo Plus, the all-you-can-enjoy subscription offering booklovers unlimited access to over 1.3 million eBooks and over 100,000 audiobooks for a low monthly fee.

“At Kobo, we’re always working to make the reading experience better and more accessible. Our goal is to be delighting readers – with our best-in-class eReaders, top-rated Kobo app, unmatched digital catalogue or curated book recommendations – but there’s nothing as gratifying as saying ‘read as much as you want for a set monthly fee,’ which is exactly what our Kobo Plus subscription offers,” said Bart Robers, Director, Audiobooks and Global Subscriptions, Rakuten Kobo.

“Kobo Plus has become one of our most popular offerings in the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Australia, Italy and France, and it’s our pleasure and privilege to be expanding the subscription service in the US and UK, so that readers can enjoy reading and listening without boundaries.”

US and UK booklovers can access Kobo Plus via the Kobo Books App for iOS or Android and directly on Kobo eReaders to begin discovering new authors and genres. The Kobo Plus eBook and audiobook collection features a breadth of stories, including:

• Contemporary fiction by beloved authors including Ian McEwan, Elena Ferrante and Alice Hoffman
• Renowned literary works from Philip Roth, Jim Harrison, V.S. Naipaul, Aldous Huxley and William S. Burroughs
• Contemporary sci-fi and fantasy by Anne McCaffrey, Cory Doctorow, and Jeff VanderMeer
• Classic mysteries from M.C. Beaton, Patricia Highsmith, and Elizabeth Peters
• Romance by Barbara Freethy and Beverly Lewis

The Kobo Plus catalogue is ever-growing, with more titles being added to the collection each month. The service has three budget-friendly subscription plan offers:

• Kobo Plus Read: Unlimited eBooks for $7.99 USD or €9,99 GBP per month
• Kobo Plus Listen: Unlimited audiobooks for $7.99 USD or €9,99 GBP per month
• Kobo Plus Read and Listen: Unlimited eBooks and audiobooks for $9.99 USD or €12,99 GBP per month

The Kobo Plus subscription is an ideal way to approach a bucket list of literary classics, an entire author's catalogue, or to dive into a new field of interest. With unlimited reading for one low monthly fee, the subscription lets readers sample a few pages from a genre or author they have never read, and move on to another book guilt-free if it's not to their taste. It’s an ideal option for avid booklovers who can tear through several books a month, and for those who prefer to read a few chapters before committing. There’s never been a better time to discover new authors and series on a Kobo eReader or with the free Kobo reading app.

While Kobo Plus subscribers experience the joys of limitless reading and listening, authors included in the catalogue enjoy a range of benefits as well. Typically, following the launch of a book, revenue tends to decline with age as new releases hit the shelves – but inclusion in the Kobo Plus subscription continues to drive the revenue of a book as it’s discovered by new readers in the service, generating sales for a longer period of time with no decline in individual eBook or audiobook sales. Readers are also willing to try more new authors and read more widely across both new releases and backlist, as all-you-can-read removes the risk of trying something new.

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About Rakuten Kobo Inc.

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is the world’s digital bookseller created by and for booklovers. Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten Group, Inc. and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo’s millions of worldwide users can read anytime, anywhere, and on any device. With a mission to make reading lives better for all, Rakuten Kobo connects readers to stories using thoughtful and personalized curation of eBooks and audiobooks, and the best dedicated eReaders and apps for reading. With the singular focus of making reading lives the best they can be, Kobo’s open platform allows people to fit reading into more moments in their busy lives.

To learn more about Rakuten Kobo, visit www.kobo.com.

Media Contact

Erin Ierullo 
Senior Manager, Global Communications 
[email protected]