Amazon has signed a deal to acquire podcast production firm Wondery, in a move that boosts the US tech giant’s attempts to round out the offerings from its music platform.
Wondery, which produces popular podcasts such as “Dirty John,” “Dr. Death,” and “The Shrink Next Door,” will be incorporated into Amazon Music, which is ramping up its efforts to compete with rivals such as Spotify and began offering podcasts this year.
“Together with Wondery, we will continue to bring more customers to streaming as we expand our selection and ensure we are a destination for our customers to find, discover and listen to the creators and artists they enjoy,” the Amazon Music team said in a blog post on Wednesday.
“Wondery is an innovative podcast publisher with a track record of creating and producing top-rated podcasts that entertain and educate listeners.”
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports this month suggested Wondery was seeking $300 million. The deal, which has yet to be finalized, will allow Amazon Music subscribers to listen to Wondery podcasts through a variety of providers, Amazon said.
Industry tracker Podtrac ranked Wondery as the fourth-most-listened-to podcast publisher in the US in November, with slightly more than 9 million people tuning in to the audio programs it hosts.
There has been a boom in the popularity of podcasts in recent years, with people listening to compelling true or scripted stories, as well as interviews.
The move comes as Amazon comes under increased scrutiny from antitrust enforcers for its growing dominance in key sectors of the economy as it expands its retail and streaming-media operations.
