Amazon’s ambitious bid to take on podcasting giants YouTube and Spotify has ended in defeat, despite pouring millions into the venture.
After four years of playing in the podcast space, the Jeff Bezos-led empire has decided to dismantle its Wondery studio, acquired for $300 million in 2020. As part of a broader “optimization” of unprofitable media ventures, the company is laying off 110 employees, including Wondery CEO Jen Sargent, effective August 2025.
The move signals a retreat, but Amazon isn’t fully abandoning podcasts—likely to avoid alarming investors with a complete exit. Instead, the business will partially live on under the Amazon Audible label, inheriting Wondery’s most popular shows.
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However, this lifeline may be temporary. It seems Amazon has reevaluated its podcasting expansion strategy, and bold new moves in this market are unlikely anytime soon. The tech giant’s stumble underscores the dominance of established players and the challenges of breaking into the fiercely competitive audio space.
