
The company was valued at $100 million in July 2019. Wondery, an Amazon Compan圜ardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd. The talks valued Wondery at over $300 million, according to the publication. The Wall Street Journal reported on December 2 that Amazon was in talks to buy the podcast maker.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that Lopez will leave Wondery after the deal closes and the company’s Chief Operating Officer Jen Sargent will take over the leadership team.
TO BUY PODCAST MAKER WONDERY TV
“When the deal closes, nothing will change for listeners, and they’ll continue to be able to access Wondery podcasts through a variety of providers,” Amazon said in a statement.Įarlier in 2020, Wondery CEO Chief Executive Hernan Lopez was charged with wire fraud and money laundering alongside two former FOX TV executives. A Wondery spokesperson did not return a request for comment.Īmazon noted in its announcement of the deal that Wondery’s podcasts would continue to be available on platforms outside of Amazon Music. It is unclear how the deal could impact future film and television adaptations of Wondery’s podcasts. In 2016, its audiobook business, Audible, a sister company of Amazon Music, started approaching podcast studios about exclusive shows.Amazon Starts Licensing Originals: Netflix, Your Move
Different parts of Amazon’s sprawling business have tried to build a portfolio of original, exclusive podcasts. Both brands were rolled into Amazon Music, a streaming service which is available in both ad-supported and premium forms one of the Premium tiers is part of Amazon’s Prime bundle of services, while others start at $3.99 for Prime members. The launches come months after Amazon acquired Art19 over the summer and Wondery back in December. 11 attacks created with Pineapple Street Media, and “SmartLess,” a show starring Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, which Amazon reportedly spent $80 million on acquiring its exclusive rights. Amazon has also co-branded several shows it has acquired this year, including “9/12,” a show about the aftermath of the Sept. The talks value Wondery at over 300 million, the people said. These range from “Uncommon Ground,” a show hosted by CNN political commentator Van Jones, and “Set It Straight,” a show hosted by the country music group Midland, to “That Scene,” a show where sports journalist Dan Patrick talks with actors and filmmakers about iconic moments in movies. is in exclusive talks to purchase podcast startup Wondery, according to people familiar with the matter, as the tech giant pushes further into the growing audio sector. Since Amazon launched its podcasts operation last year, it has released about a dozen different Amazon Original-branded podcasts. today said that it has signed a deal to buy Wondery Inc., a venture-backed podcast startup with a reported audience of 20 million monthly listeners. “Country Heat Weekly” is branded as an Amazon original, a bit of branding that it has applied somewhat haphazardly to the shows its teams have produced since Amazon’s podcasting arm formally launched last fall. Amazon said that the agreement, when it is. The show, named after an Amazon Music playlist, is expected to feature regular guests, and will debut with an appearance by Eric Church. Amazon Music has agreed to buy podcast studio Wondery in a bid to bolster its fledgling audio business. Amazon didnt disclose the purchase price. 29, Amazon Music announced that it would launch “Country Heat Weekly,” a weekly podcast hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson on Nov. said it has agreed to acquire podcast producer Wondery, the online retail giants latest move to beef up its audio offerings. Amazon has already splashed out on two big podcast acquisitions in the past 12 months, but it is taking tentative steps toward building a brand for itself as a podcast producer.