Amazon cuts 110 jobs at Wondery

Amazon is cutting about 110 jobs at Wondery and breaking up the podcast studio inside a broader Amazon audio reorganization. (tech.yahoo.com) (geekwire.com) Amazon said Monday that Wondery’s narrative podcast studio will move into Audible, while creator-led shows will be grouped inside a new Creator Services team. (tech.yahoo.com) (hollywoodreporter.com) The narrative side includes shows such as Business Wars, Dr. Death and American Scandal. The creator-led side includes New Heights, Armchair Expert and Mind the Game. (tech.yahoo.com) (hollywoodreporter.com) Wondery chief executive Jen Sargent is leaving after a transition period, and chief content officer Marshall Lewy is moving to Audible’s content team. (tech.yahoo.com) (hollywoodreporter.com) Amazon said the shift reflects a podcast market that now favors “video-forward, creator-led content” over audio-first narrative programming. Steve Boom, Amazon’s vice president of audio, Twitch and games, outlined that view in a memo seen by Reuters and other outlets. (tech.yahoo.com) (hollywoodreporter.com) The new Creator Services group will sit inside Amazon’s Talent Services division and keep operating creator-focused podcasts under the Wondery brand. Amazon said the new setup is meant to help creators make money across multiple channels and simplify buying for advertisers. (tech.yahoo.com) (geekwire.com) Amazon bought Wondery in 2020, and Reuters reported the company told staff that Wondery’s podcast revenue has quadrupled since the acquisition. Even with that growth, Amazon is now reorganizing around video distribution and creator businesses that travel more easily across Prime Video, Fire TV, Echo devices and ad products. (geekwire.com) (tech.yahoo.com) (hollywoodreporter.com) The reorganization leaves Wondery intact as a brand, but not as the same stand-alone studio Amazon bought to expand in original podcasts. Amazon’s next step is to absorb those pieces into Audible and Creator Services while moving affected employees or cutting their roles. (geekwire.com) (tech.yahoo.com)