Winfrey’s podcast is moving deeper into Amazon after Harpo Entertainment signed a multiyear agreement that gives Amazon-owned Wondery exclusive distributing and advertising rights to “The Oprah Podcast,” the companies said Monday. The deal also extends Amazon’s access to Winfrey’s broader content ecosystem, with rights to the “The Oprah Winfrey Show” library and additional franchises tied to Winfrey’s brands.
Wondery’s role under the agreement will include distributing the podcast’s audio and video across Amazon platforms, with the expanded release schedule set to begin this summer. In July, Wondery will begin distributing “The Oprah Podcast” across services including Prime Video, Amazon Music, Fire TV Channels and Audible, according to the announcement.
The companies said “The Oprah Podcast” will add two new episodes a week as part of the arrangement, building on its launch in December 2024. The podcast, they said, will continue to be available on YouTube and other popular platforms even as it gains a stronger presence across Amazon’s ecosystem.
The agreement also gives Amazon rights to the library of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which ran from 1986 to 2011, along with the talk show host’s book club and “Favorite Things” franchises. No financial terms of the agreement were immediately shared.
In a statement provided to The Associated Press by Harpo, a spokesperson said “‘Oprah’s Book Club’ will continue to support books wherever they are sold.” The trade-group American Booksellers Association did not respond immediately to a request for comment, but the article said the deal could anger independent booksellers who view Amazon as their primary competitor.
Winfrey, speaking in a prepared statement, said hosting the show “allows me to continue the work I feel called to do – opening the door for conversations that matter.” She added that expanding the podcast’s reach “is an opportunity I embrace.”
The announcement places “The Oprah Podcast” among other celebrity-led shows that have moved to Amazon via Wondery deals. The article said that in 2024 Wondery reached an exclusive distribution and advertising deal for “New Heights,” a podcast from Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce.