Amazon’s New Podcast Strategy: Monetize Everything

Amazon’s podcast business has changed over the past six months, according to The New York Times.

Back in August 2025, the company reportedly cut more than 100 jobs from its podcast studio Wondery. At the time, Amazon insisted that it had not shut down Wondery, and that appears to be technically true — it is still using the Wondery brand.

But the New York Times said Amazon “took a sledgehammer” to the studio. Audio-only podcasts now operate within Audible, while a new division called Creator Services works with on-camera celebrities like Dax Sheperd, Keke Palmer, and Jason and Travis Kelce.

For example, the company said it is creating an “expanding universe” around the Kelce brothers’ “New Heights,” with monetization plans that go far beyond standard podcast advertising. There’s a new section on Amazon called Kelce Clubhouse, where fans can purchase “New Heights” merchandise, watch the “Kelce” documentary, and purchase recommended products for a football viewing party.

In the words of Matt Sandler, general manager of Creator Services, Amazon is trying to “merge both content and commerce together.”

Naturally, other online creators are also betting on the trade. But according to the New York Times, Amazon is the only company that has “dismembered the company” to get here.