Amazon’s Podcast Bet Falters As Job Cuts Loom At Wondery: Report

Current Wondery podcasts will either transition to Amazon’s Audible division or move under a newly established creator services unit, which will manage shows led by prominent personalities like Jason and Travis Kelce.

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is reportedly dismantling much of its Wondery podcast division in a strategic shake-up, resulting in the elimination of around 110 roles and the departure of Wondery CEO Jen Sargent. 

According to a Bloomberg report, current Wondery podcasts will either transition to Amazon’s Audible division or move under a newly established creator services unit, which will manage shows led by prominent personalities like Jason and Travis Kelce. 

Amazon stock traded over 1% lower on Monday afternoon. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward the stock remained in ‘extremely bullish’ (92/100) territory amid ‘extremely high’ (88/100) message volume levels.

The Wondery+ subscription team and the company’s narrative studio, known for series like Dr. Death, will now operate under Audible’s leadership. Marshall Lewy, Wondery’s chief content officer, is expected to join Audible in a senior capacity. 

Meanwhile, Wondery's marquee shows, those with major celebrity hosts, will move to the creator services arm to better leverage brand partnerships and integrated advertising across Amazon’s broader ecosystem. The restructuring signals a major shift in Amazon’s podcasting ambitions as the company pivots toward video-centric content and creator-driven strategies.

Amazon's move highlights growing difficulties across the podcasting industry, especially as major players like Spotify Technology SA (SPOT) and Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) increasingly prioritize video-based content. 

Traditional audio formats are losing momentum. Steve Boom, Amazon’s vice president of Audio, Twitch, and Games, noted that the rise of video has also blurred the lines on what it means to be a podcast creator.

The company reported its second-quarter (Q2) results after the market closed on July 31. Revenue increased 13% year-on-year (YoY) to $167.7 billion, above the consensus estimate of $162.1 billion, as per Fiscal AI data. Amazon has shed over 2% in 2025 and has gained over 32% in the last 12 months.

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