Backstreet Boys, still in the middle of a sold-out 11-week tour of North America in support of the hit album ''Millennium,'' will hit the road to play an additional six weeks of U.S. dates in February and March, according to Jive Records. The group is scheduled to play its final date of 1999 on Dec. 6 in Florida.
The itinerary for the tour's new leg and onsale dates for tickets haven't been announced. According to Jive, the band will head to the studio after March's shows are completed to record a new album for release in September or October.
Jive and Backstreet Boys recently resolved their differences in a deal that reportedly gave the group a 20% royalty rate, which stands to make them one of music's highest-paid acts. According to a statement released this week by Jive, the deal encompasses ''the joint development of several innovative Internet ventures, sponsorships deals and close cooperation on the marketing, licensing and other commercial exploitation of the group's recordings.''
Clive Calder, Chairman/CEO of the Zomba Group of Companies, said in a statement. ''Unfortunately, over the past two months due to a series of events, the relationship between the group and our Jive record label got temporarily derailed. This is now behind us and everything has been resolved to everyone's satisfaction.''
In a group statement, Backstreet Boys said, ''It feels great to have resolved the differences with our record company. Now we can move forward in the most positive way, focused on creating the best music we can for our fans all over the world. We have very exciting and interesting plans for the year 2000.''