Over the past six months, Amazon has completely changed how it handles podcasts, focusing more on making money from every part of the content.

In August 2025, the company cut over 100 jobs from its podcast studio Wondery. At that time, Amazon said it wasn’t shutting the studio down — and technically, it didn’t. The Wondery name still exists, but its structure has changed a lot.

Now, audio-only podcasts are being managed under Audible. At the same time, Amazon created a new division called Creator Services, which focuses on big on-camera personalities like Dax Shepard, Keke Palmer, and Travis Kelce with his brother Jason Kelce.

A strong example of this strategy is the podcast New Heights. Amazon is building what it calls an “expanding universe” around it. Instead of just ads, they are creating multiple ways to earn money.

There’s now a special section called “Kelce Clubhouse” on Amazon where fans can:

• Buy official merchandise
• Watch the documentary Kelce
• Shop recommended products for game-day parties

The goal is simple: mix content with shopping. As one Amazon executive explained, they want to combine entertainment and commerce into one experience.

While many creators today are trying to sell products along with content, Amazon has taken a more aggressive step by reshaping its entire podcast business to make this model work.