Amazon is expanding on its digital content catalog with the acquisition of podcast maker Wondery.
The five-year-old company has built a name for itself with the launch of several popular podcasts such as “Dirty John,” “Dr. Death” and “Over My Dead Body.” The company counts more than 10 million unique subscribers and listeners each month.
As part of the deal, Wondery podcasts will be made available through Amazon Music, which began adding podcasts to its audio catalog starting in September last year.
Amazon also owns Audible, an audiobook and podcast hosting platform. Amazon has sought to improve on its Audible content with several free podcasts that are popular among listeners, including “This American Life,” “Pod Save America” and “You’re Wrong About.”
Amazon’s move to acquire the company comes at a time when several streaming giants, including Spotify and Apple, are doubling down on their efforts to engage subscribers through original podcast content. For one, Spotify recently invested in a podcast deal with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle and has made a series of acquisitions that include The Ringer, Gimlet Media, Anchor and Parcast, CNBC reported. Meanwhile, Apple has continued to build upon the content in its podcast app, which comes preinstalled on all of its iPhones.