Pearson pivots to pop with Spice Girls deal

EDUCATION business Pearson has announced a surprise new deal with Simon Fuller, the former manager of the Spice Girls, as it seeks to transform itself from a maker of dusty old textbooks to a “Netflix-for-learning” style platform business.

- Oscar Williams-Grut

Pearson has partnered with Fuller’s XIX Entertainment to create a new course, Academy of Pop, that will teach customers how to become pop stars.

Fuller managed the Spice Girls in the 1990s and created long-running talent shows Pop Idol and American Idol.

His new Pearson course features lessons on acting, dance, music, and musical theatre. The first version will take place in Hollywood next year, with a virtual version following thereafter.

Pearson CEO Andy Bird said the new Academy of Pop would be pitched to the “casual to the committed” — people looking to learn about being a pop star just for fun or to a new generation who are keen to learn the skills for work reasons.