Wondery, Amazon‘s podcast studio and network, on Wednesday unveiled the launch of Wondery+, its curated podcast subscription service, in the U.K.
It touted “exclusive podcast content, ad-free listening as well as early access to new episodes of popular shows.” All in all, the service promises subscribers “dozens of exclusive podcasts, early access to more than 50 shows, and over 45,000 episodes all ad-free.” Wondery+ is available in the U.K. for £5.99 ($7.44) a month or £44.99 ($55.91) annually.
The news comes amid continued growth in podcasting in the U.S. and beyond.
“Our enhanced Wondery+ service is now available for U.K. audiences, with curated best-in-class local U.K. and global content from Wondery and our valued collaborators, with a premium, personalized and immersive listening experience,” said Wondery CEO Jen Sargent. “The Wondery+ U.K. launch extends our commitment to the U.K. market, building on our long-term strategy to work alongside brilliant local storytellers and talent across all genres, to deliver podcast-first storytelling with relevance and appeal to local audiences.”
New releases by U.K. producers coming to Wondery+ include the true-crime show RedHanded, “which releases one week early and offers exclusive bonus Shorthand episodes weekly,” Brydon&, and, starting on May 1, limited series Answers for Claudia, which investigates the disappearance of British chef Claudia Lawrence.
The company on Wednesday touted that its revamped Wondery app also helps people discover such “new, immersive content” as The Price of Paradise, hosted by Alice Levine of British Scandal, a new U.K. original limited series that follows “the tumultuous real-life story of a woman who swaps her life in suburban Hampshire to buy a private island in the Caribbean,” The Bachelor of Buckingham Palace, which explores “one of the world’s most unusual reality dating shows,” and new seasons of Wondery U.K. originals, including Terribly Famous: Kate Moss Says Yes, British Scandal, The Spy Who, and Legacy.
Wondery+ also includes access to the company’s growing library of U.K. shows and such Wondery global hits as Dr. Death, Scamfluencers, Diss and Tell, Even the Rich, and Business Wars.
Amazon Music agreed to buy Wondery in December 2020 in a bid to bolster its fledgling audio business.
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