Amazon will acquire Wondery, the startup behind popular podcasts like ‘Dr. Death’ and ‘Dirty John,’ in a deal reportedly worth $300 million

Just months after launching podcasts on its Amazon Music platform, Amazon announced on Wednesday that it will acquire the podcast startup Wondery.

“Together with Wondery, we hope to accelerate the growth and evolution of podcasts by bringing creators, hosts, and immersive experiences to even more listeners across the globe, just as we do with music,” Amazon said in the press release announcing the acquisition.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but reports from early December pointed to a $300 to $400 million price tag.
Wondery is the podcast publisher behind hit podcasts like “Dr. Death,” “Dirty John,” and “The Shrink Next Door,” among others. Amazon will acquire that roster of shows, along with the publisher. That doesn’t mean those podcasts are going exclusive to Amazon Music, though – Amazon insists that “nothing will change for listeners, and they’ll continue to be able to access Wondery podcasts through a variety of providers” when the acquisition is completed.

Acquisitions of podcast startups have heated up across the past several years, primarily driven by Spotify making several major purchases: it paid $340 million for Gimlet Media and Anchor in 2019, and $100 million for exclusive rights to “The Joe Rogan Experience” back in May. The company has also struck deals with Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian-West, and popular sports/culture network The Ringer.

Amazon’s acquisition of Wondery is the first such move Amazon has made in the podcast arena.