Wondery
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Podcasting |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Hernan Lopez |
| Fate | Acquired by Amazon Music in 2020 |
| Headquarters | United States , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jen Sargent (CEO), Jeanine Percival Wright (COO), Marshall Lewy (Chief Content Officer) |
| Products | Podcasts, Wondery+, Wondery+ Kids |
| Owner | Amazon Music (since 2020) |
Number of employees | 80 (2020) (2020) |
| Parent | Amazon Music |
| Website | wondery |
Wondery is a U.S.-based podcast network and publisher recognized for popular series such as American History Tellers, Dr. Death, and The Shrink Next Door. The company was founded in 2016 by media entrepreneur Hernan Lopez, launching with financial support from 20th Century Fox (currently 20th Century Studios). In late 2020, Amazon Music acquired Wondery, significantly broadening Amazon’s presence within the podcasting sector.
Several podcasts from Wondery have been adapted into television productions, with Dirty John being a notable example. The network provides two subscription-based premium services: Wondery+ and Wondery+ Kids.
Establishment
Wondery was created in 2016 by Hernan Lopez, who previously served as CEO of Fox International Channels, and initially received funding from 20th Century Fox. The platform specializes in developing and curating audio content tailored for mobile consumption and on-demand listening experiences. To facilitate distribution and dynamic advertisement insertion, Wondery collaborated with ART19.
Joining Lopez was Jeffrey Glaser, formerly head of current programming at 20th Century Fox Television, where he oversaw shows like 24, American Dad!, Arrested Development, and Bones. Glaser took on the role of president of content, bringing his extensive television programming background to the podcast network.
Financing
In addition to its initial investment from 20th Century Fox, Wondery conducted several funding rounds. Its Series A financing in March 2018 raised $5 million from investors such as Greycroft, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, and Shari Redstone’s Advancit Capital. CEO Hernan Lopez intended to deploy this capital to grow the network’s original podcast lineup. In June 2019, Wondery closed a $10 million Series B round led by Waverley Capital that valued the company at over $100 million; these funds supported international growth, content development, and technological enhancements. Declan Moore, formerly CEO of National Geographic Partners, joined as head of international programming.
Expansion
Within three years of its founding, Wondery ranked among the top five podcast publishers, achieving 40 million downloads by December 2018. In 2019, the company earned six nominations at the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards and won the Most Bingeable Podcast award for Dr. Death.
Starting in 2018, Wondery began adapting its podcasts for television audiences; Bravo’s adaptation of Dirty John drew 3.3 million viewers, marking it as their most successful new series in over four years. Other adaptations include Dr. Death, Over My Dead Body, The Shrink Next Door, WeCrashed, American Sports Story, and Joe vs. Carole. Collaborations with celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Jillian Michaels, and Tina Brown further diversified the content portfolio.
In June 2018, Wondery introduced Wondery+, a premium subscription service offering ad-free listening, early episode access, and exclusive bonus material on both iOS and Android platforms.
Following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019, Disney inherited Fox’s ownership stake in Wondery.
In April 2019, Universal Music Group granted Wondery a license to use its catalog for podcast creation and potential adaptations for television and film, working alongside UMG labels and PolyGram Entertainment.
A strategic partnership with Cumulus Media formed in May 2019 expanded advertising capabilities and audience reach; this alliance launched the Sports Wars podcast series across 40 Cumulus radio stations.
In October 2019, Wondery engaged Ranieri and Co. to represent its portfolio within Australia and New Zealand markets, where it already boasted five top-ranked podcasts.
Wondery launched its proprietary listening application in 2020 and made Wondery+ accessible through Apple Podcast Subscriptions in 2021.
The network has received numerous industry accolades including five Ambies at the inaugural Podcast Academy Awards in 2020 as well as multiple iHeartRadio Podcast Awards during 2020 and 2021.
In April 2020, CEO Hernan Lopez faced allegations involving wire fraud and money laundering connected to FIFA World Cup broadcast rights; he denies wrongdoing and his trial was deferred until January 2023.
That same month, Wondery partnered with Al Jazeera Media Network to introduce Arabic versions of flagship podcasts such as Business Wars.
In May 2020, reports indicated that Wondery was negotiating with hosts of Call Her Daddy despite their existing contractual commitments elsewhere.
By early 2021, Wondery was part of a group responsible for roughly one-third of all podcast advertising revenue.
In March 2021, African Media Entertainment secured South African distribution rights for Wondery's podcasts to broaden regional market access.
June 2021 saw Wondery join Amazon Music in acquiring the hit podcast SmartLess, hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes.
A licensing and advertising agreement between Wondery, Amazon Music, and Tinkercast was announced in August 2021; new Tinkercast podcasts premiered early on Amazon Music and were available ad-free on Wondery+.
September 2021 marked the launch of Wondery+ Kids—a dedicated premium subscription aimed at children ages four to twelve—offered via Apple Podcasts. A collaboration with Gen-Z Media secured exclusive licensing, distribution, marketing, and advertising rights for at least eighteen children’s podcasts on this platform.
In February 2022, NPR’s How I Built This entered into a three-year exclusive advertising and licensing partnership with both Wondery and Amazon Music.
By May 2022, Wondery became the pioneer podcast platform supporting Dolby Atmos audio technology for immersive surround sound experiences; this feature is accessible to Wondery+ subscribers who can also opt for a free trial.
Wondery's expansion into Italy occurred in July 2022 through a collaboration with Acast to translate English-language series such as Bunga, Bunga into Italian.
Throughout 2022, Wondery's productions earned one Webby Award along with two iHeartRadio Podcast Awards.
As of July 2022 data from Podtrac placed Wondery as the second-largest podcast publisher in the United States—surpassing NPR—with an estimated audience of 23.8 million unique U.S. listeners representing a growth of 59% since May.
Acquisition
On December 30, 2020, Amazon revealed its purchase of Wondery, integrating the podcast network into its Amazon Music division. Although the official financial details were not released, an unnamed insider estimated the transaction to be around $300 million. At that moment, Wondery held the position as the largest independently operated podcast network. The deal was finalized on February 10, 2021, which also marked the departure of founder Hernan Lopez from his CEO role and the promotion of former COO Jen Sargent to CEO. Amazon emphasized that this acquisition aimed to accelerate podcast expansion and broaden reach among both domestic and global listeners.
Prior to Amazon's acquisition, both Apple Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment had shown interest in acquiring Wondery, underscoring significant industry demand for the podcast company.
Organization
Jen Sargent joined Wondery as chief operating officer (COO), bringing with her a background as co-founder of HitFix and president of Uproxx Media Group. Following Hernan Lopez’s exit in 2021, she was elevated to CEO.
Jeanine Percival Wright took over the COO position from Sargent. Wright previously served as CFO and senior vice president of strategy and operations at AdsWizz and currently acts as general manager, overseeing revenue streams, market growth initiatives, partnerships, operational management, and licensing activities.
By 2022, Marshall Lewy held the title of Chief Content Officer. James Cator, formerly head of studios at Spotify U.K., was appointed head of commercial for Europe. Nicole Blake, with prior experience at Warner Bros. and DreamWorks, led franchise development in 2021. Jessica Radburn, who came from Audible, managed international podcast content. Laurie Pracher served as chief sales officer in 2020.
At the close of 2020, Wondery’s team numbered approximately 80 employees. Sargent announced intentions to double this headcount in 2021, with a particular focus on growing the development department.
Programming
Within Wondery’s portfolio are numerous shows, including:
| Year | Title | Host or Starring | Genre | Co-producer | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Against the Odds | Mike Corey and Cassie De Pecol | ||||
| 2018 | American History Tellers | Lindsay Graham | History | |||
| 2018 | American Innovations | Steven Johnson | History | [1] | ||
| 2018 | American Scandal | Lindsay Graham | Crime | |||
| 2024 | Answers for Claudia | Tom McDermott | Crime | Ailsa Rochester | Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence | [2] |
| 2019 | Bad Batch | Laura Beil | Crime | |||
| 2019 | Blood Ties | Gillian Jacobs, Josh Gad, Amy Landecker, Dominic Monaghan, and Wayne Knight | Audio drama | |||
| 2018 | Business Wars | David Brown | Business | Won a Webby Award in 2019 and an iHeartRadio award in 2020 for Best Business & Finance Podcast | [3] | |
| 2020 | Death of a Starlet | Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas | Crime | |||
| 2017 | Dirty John | Christopher Goffard | Crime | Los Angeles Times | Adapted into the Dirty John series for Bravo | [4] |
| 2018 | Dr. Death | Laura Beil | Crime | Won an iHeartRadio Podcast Award for Most Bingeable Podcast in 2019 | [3] | |
| 2020 | Even The Rich | Aricia Skidmore-Williams and Brooke Siffrinn | Society and culture | Wondery original series| | ||
| 2012 | Generation Why | Aaron Habel and Justin Evans | Crime | |||
| 2021 | Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera | Trace Lysette | Crime | |||
| 2018 | Imagined Life | Virginia Madsen and Robbie Daymond | Society and culture | Won Quartz podcast Awards in 2018 for "Best podcast on the human condition" and "Best new podcast" |
| Year | Title | Host or Starring | Genre | Co-producer | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Daily Dish | ||||||
| Ruby | Laura Esterman and Bill Raymond | Audio drama | ZBS Foundation |
External links
| Year | Title | Host or Starring | Genre | Co-producer | Notes | Ref. |
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