Known to many as the "Queen of Talk," Oprah Winfrey is one of the most recognizable names in entertainment. Winfrey has landed a new deal for her podcast and rights to some of her older franchises and the winner wasn't a traditional TV broadcaster.
Amazon Lands Oprah Winfrey Deal
Fresh off their box office success from "Project Hail Mary," Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) could have another success story for their growing entertainment division.
The company has landed a partnership with Winfrey's Harpo Entertainment. The deal includes "The Oprah Podcast," "Oprah's Book Club," "Oprah's Favorite Things" and the rights to 25 old seasons of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," according to a report from Variety.
The exclusive, multi-year deal is centered on the podcast launched in December 2024. Amazon's Wondery podcast network lands the video and audio distribution to the show along with ad-sales rights across all channels, according to the report.
Currently consisting of weekly episodes, "The Oprah Podcast" will expand to two weekly episodes starting some time this summer.
Wondery, which was acquired by Amazon for a reported $300 million in 2020, takes over as distributor of the podcast in July. The show is expected to be available on Prime Video, Amazon Music, Audible, Amazon Fire TV Channels, YouTube and other podcast platforms.
"Hosting this podcast allows me to continue the work I feel called to do – opening the door for conversations that matter," Winfrey said.
Winfrey said expanding the podcast's global reach is "an opportunity" she embraces.
Amazon's VP of Audio Steve Boom said Winfrey is one of the most iconic names in television and publishing.
"We are bringing her voice to more people and expanding how her audiences engage with Oprah in ways only Amazon can deliver," Boom said.
Entertainment Growth Opportunities for Amazon
The new podcast deal is likely to be a big one for Amazon's Wondery and adds to an already strong lineup of celebrity names the company has partnered with.
Wondery is also the home of "New Heights" from Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce, "Mind the Game" from JJ Redick and LeBron James, "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer" with Keke Palmer and "Armchair Expert" from Dax Shepard.
While the deal will likely center on the podcasting side, Amazon is now partnered with one of the most recognizable names in entertainment. The company also lands the rights to 25 seasons of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," with no immediate plans announced.
This could mean putting the show on Prime Video.
Making more of Oprah's current and past content as exclusives to Amazon could help drive Prime Video subscriptions and give Amazon more advertising sales power with its strong lineup of podcast hosts.
Amazon also lands rights to popular franchises like Oprah's book club and favorite things, which it could integrate into its ecommerce business.
Photo: Maxim Elramsisy/Shutterstock
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