Amazon Is Laying Off Wondery Staff as It Rethinks Its Podcast Business
Bloomberg first reported on Monday that Amazon is laying off about 110 staff from its Wondery podcast studio and shifting some shows to Audible, its other audio-focused subsidiary. As part of the shake-up, Wondery CEO Jen Sargent is leaving the company.
The reorganization comes as the podcast industry faces its own 'video killed the radio star' moment, with creator-led, video-based shows surging in popularity and thus being more monetizable.
The e-commerce giant sent Gizmodo the following statement about the changes:
The podcast landscape has evolved significantly in the past few years, particularly with the rise of video-forward, creator-led content. These changes reflect that evolution and will streamline how Wondery integrates further into Amazon. By making these changes, we can better support creators in monetizing their content across multiple channels, help them expand their brand IP, and simplify the process for advertisers while making content more accessible to audiences wherever they prefer to consume it. This evolution builds on Wondery's early success with video-forward shows and positions us to better serve creators, customers, and advertisers.
In a memo to staff obtained by Deadline, Steve Boom, Amazon's vice president of audio, Twitch, and games, said the rise of video podcasting has created 'different audience needs' and requires 'distinct discovery, growth, and monetization strategies' compared to traditional audio-only narrative podcasts.
In the letter, Boom said that Amazon is reorganizing Wondery with its narrative podcasts like Dr. Death and Business Wars moving to Audible. The studio's chief content officer, Marshall Lewy, will also be headed to Audible.
For Wondery's creator-led shows like Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert and Jason and Travis Kelce's New Heights, a new Creator Services team under Amazon's Talent Services division will be taking over. This team will continue operating the creator-focused podcast studio under the Wondery brand, working closely with a select group of top creators to expand their audiences and deepen their partnership with Amazon.
Bloomberg highlighted LeBron James, who hosts the podcast Mind the Game and has served as a Prime Day spokesperson, as a blueprint for this new approach.
Amazon originally acquired Wondery in 2021 for about $300 million, according to media reports. At its peak, the studio saw some of its hit podcasts like Dirty John adapted into TV shows.
But Amazon isn't the only company that has poured big money into podcasting. Last year, Spotify reportedly signed a $250 million deal to continue managing sponsorships for Joe Rogan's podcast. Meanwhile, SiriusXM paid $125 million to poach Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast from Spotify.
As competition has increased in the industry, there have already been some losers too. In June, Audacy, the radio giant owned by a group led by Soros Fund Management, shut down its podcast-focused Pineapple Street Studios.
Public media is also facing challenges. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which helps fund National Public Radio (NPR), a pioneer in podcasting, is set to wind down operations and lay off most of its staff by September 30. This move comes as President Donald Trump has cut the nonprofit's funding.
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