Wiley Acquires Emerald Publishing in £337 Million Deal, Expanding Its Global Research Portfolio

Wiley has acquired Emerald Publishing for £337 million ($452 million), adding nearly 500 journals, 8,000 books and extensive research content while strengthening its presence across business, economics, social sciences and other academic fields.
on Sep 08, 2026

Wiley Buys Emerald Publishing for £337 Million

Wiley has announced the purchase of UK-based scholarly academic publisher Emerald Publishing from Cambridge Information Group (CIG) in a £337 million ($452 million) cash deal, which significantly adds to its strength in scholarly research publishing.

With this deal, Wiley will add nearly 500 journal brands, some 8,000 books, along with a vast array of case studies and backfile content to its publishing house. The portfolio of Wiley’s journals will rise up to about 2,500 after this acquisition.

The deal is expected to boost the strength of Wiley especially in the field of social sciences, where it will expand its coverage in various disciplines like economics, business, finance, accounting, management, education, engineering, public policy and environmental management.

Emerald Publishing, founded in 1967 and based out of UK, has earned a reputation worldwide for publishing scholarly research that bridges academic learning with real-world applications.

According to Wiley, the deal will not only increase its scale within the research publishing but also enhance its own content portfolio in relation to artificial intelligence and data analytics. The rising demands for reliable scholarly content, needed to build AI-driven software and apps, are considered by the company as a rationale behind its purchase of Emerald Publishing.

The President and CEO of Wiley, Matthew Kissner, stated that Emerald is a great strategic choice for the company due to its complementary portfolio and specialized content in research publishing.

According to Vicky Williams, CEO of Emerald, joining Wiley will give the publisher a bigger footprint globally and wider access to academic and corporate market segments.

The deal also marks a significant step in Wiley’s expansion of its research business. Emerald is expected to contribute more than $85 million in revenue during its 2026 fiscal year, with 92% of its revenue coming from recurring subscriptions. Wiley expects to achieve approximately $30 million in annual run-rate cost synergies by the third year following the acquisition.

For authors, researchers and institutions, Emerald has said that its journals and publishing operations will continue under existing policies, with current editorial teams, agreements and access arrangements remaining in place during the transition.

The deal increases Wiley’s size in the world of academic publishing, and also allows them to strengthen their presence in areas where Emerald has proven expertise such as business, economics, and finance.