Amazon in Exclusive Talks to Buy Podcast Startup Wondery

Amazon is in exclusive talks with podcast startup Wondery about a potential acquisition, reports The Wall Street Journal. Rumors earlier this month suggested that Wondery had also held talks with Apple and Sony Music Entertainment as it shopped for a buyer.

Apple Podcast Alternate
Wondery is said to be looking for $300 to $400 million, and it is known for popular true crime podcasts that include "Dirty John," "Over My Dead Body," "Dr. Death." Apple's discussions were in the early stages in November, but if Wondery is in exclusive talks with Amazon, Apple is likely out of the running.

A Wondery purchase would have provided Apple with a library of original content along with a source for ideas that could be turned into TV shows in the future. Wondery is already working on TV shows based on podcasts, including a WeWork series that will premiere on Apple TV+.

It's possible that Wondery's price tag was too high for Apple, but if Wondery is purchased by Amazon, Amazon will be another serious competitor in the podcasting space alongside Spotify. According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon is aiming to push further into podcasts.

Apple too has been aiming to better compete with Spotify when it comes to podcasts, and rumors have suggested that Apple is looking to buy original podcasts. Apple has been looking for podcasts that could be adapted into ‌Apple TV‌+ content, and it also plans to create podcasts that will augmnet its TV shows.

Apple has already purchased podcasting companies. In 2017, it bought Pop Up Archive to improve search, and in early 2020, it bought podcasting service Scout FM, which turns podcast shows into radio-style stations.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Early Prime Day Deals on Apple Products

Saturday July 5, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Amazon is soon to be back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront, and there are already many deals you can get on sale ahead of the event. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a ...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...

Top Rated Comments

iObama Avatar
60 months ago
Remember when podcasts were fun and non-exclusive, but people still made money from them? Me too.

Shoulda known it wouldn’t last ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
phgreer Avatar
60 months ago
Wondery Rocks! Especially the Steven Johnson stuff!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghanwani Avatar
60 months ago

Wondery is said to be looking for $300 to $400 million...
Wonder if they'll find it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FloatingBones Avatar
60 months ago
We need to invent a term for podcasts that are available anywhere and are not "exclusive" behind some #!$$ paywall.

I'm for Open Access Podcasts.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smoking monkey Avatar
60 months ago
The big companies are really sinking their teeth into Podcasts. Desperate to squeeze it for everything they can.

I sometimes listen to the Conan O'brien Pod and while many of the guests are full of their own sh*t and peddling something, some of them have funny stories and it's good for a laugh. And having a laugh in these times is just what is needed. But I've noticed recently that the ads on it are out of control. We are talking about 5-6 mins of wall to wall ads. What they don't realise is that Siri is capable of skipping ahead the number of minutes you tell it to! Hazzah! Let's just see how long before that funtion is disabled or if the FF button is taken off us. You'd like to think not, but I wouldn't be surprised...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Digital Dude Avatar
60 months ago
I guess this is what innovation looks like these days'.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)