Amazon announced that Wondery has signed an agreement to join Amazon Music. Wondery is an innovative podcast publisher with a track record of creating and producing top-rated podcasts that entertain and educate listeners, including “Dirty John,” “Dr. Death,” “Business Wars,” and “The Shrink Next Door”.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Wall Street Journal has estimated the value at over $300 million. The WSJ also reported the company’s 2020 revenues were on track to surpass $40 million, with about 75% generated from advertising and the rest coming from TV licensing, subscription services like Audible and Stitcher Premium and Wondery’s own premium subscription service, launched last summer. Hernán López, the former Fox International CEO, launched this media startup in 2016.
“Wondery is already delighting listeners with its collection of immersive podcasts, and the company is evolving this entertainment medium into a truly new and exciting experience. 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. With Amazon Music, Wondery will be able to provide even more high-quality, innovative content and continue their mission of bringing a world of entertainment and knowledge to their audiences, wherever they listen,” Amazon said.
Amazon Music launched podcasts in September 2020, and together with Wondery, the company hopes to accelerate the growth and evolution of podcasts by bringing creators, hosts, and immersive experiences to even more listeners across the globe.
“This is a pivotal moment to expand the Amazon Music offering beyond music as listener habits evolve. Our commitment to podcasts, our focus on high quality audio with the Amazon Music HD tier, and our recent partnership with Twitch to bring live streaming into the app, make Amazon Music a premiere destination for creators,” the company added.
This deal is not yet closed and nothing is changing for listeners today, as completion of this transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
Related News
