Amazon’s podcast production company, Wondery, has announced the closure of its original content operations in Mexico and Brazil. The decision, communicated to staff earlier this week, has resulted in layoffs, including key personnel such as Sarah Barrett, Head of Mexico Podcast Content, and Fábio Silveira, Head of Content in Brazil.

‍

The Closure

Under Barrett’s leadership, Wondery Mexico grew into an award-winning production company and launched a YouTube channel that attracted over half a million subscribers. Reflecting on her tenure, Barrett highlighted the opportunity to work with talented individuals and support initiatives like Docs en tus oídos, a mentorship program for emerging talent in documentary podcasting.

In Brazil, Silveira shared his pride in the podcasts and videocasts produced during his tenure. He noted that several of their active podcasts ranked highly on major platforms, with some reaching the number one spot for weeks. Silveira also emphasised the rapid growth of podcast consumption in Brazil, which some research places as the third-largest market worldwide.

Among the notable productions from Wondery’s tenure in Brazil were Modus Operandi and Caso Bizarro. Modus Operandi attracted a large audience with its deep dives into true crime cases, establishing itself as one of the most-listened-to podcasts in the country. Meanwhile, Caso Bizarro, hosted by Mabê Bonafé, explored strange and unusual stories from around the world, gaining immense popularity and making it the first Brazilian podcast promoted in Times Square by Amazon Brazil.

In Mexico, Wondery produced several compelling shows, including Escándalo Mexicano and Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera. Escándalo Mexicano, hosted by journalist Carlos Puig, dissected some of Mexico’s most controversial political and social cases, such as the Casa Blanca affair and the Los Cachirules scandal. Meanwhile, Harsh Reality examined the life and struggles of transgender model Miriam Rivera, shedding light on the controversial British reality show There’s Something About Miriam.

An Amazon spokesperson commented on the closures, stating: "After a careful review of our priorities and customers’ needs, we’ve made the difficult decision to close Wondery’s Brazil and Mexico original content operations. This decision wasn’t made quickly or easily, and we remain committed to developing immersive storytelling and audio content for audiences."

The closures coincide with Wondery Mexico's recent nominations for the Ondas Globales awards, highlighting the recognition the teams had achieved in the podcasting industry.

‍

What’s Next for the Podcasting Landscape?

The closures present a shift in the rapidly growing podcasting scenes in both countries. Mexico is home to approximately 36 million podcast listeners, with the market expected to grow 30% by 2027. The Mexican podcast advertising market generated $341.4 million in 2023, expected to reach $980.1 million by 2030. Wondery’s exit creates space for independent creators and local companies to expand, making this an opportunity to tap into this expanding audience.

Brazil's podcasting market also continues to flourish, with 34% of internet users tuning into podcasts in 2023. With popular podcasts like Modus Operandi leading the way, the industry is expected to grow to $6.64 billion by 2030, This shift may open up new opportunities for local talent to innovate and capture audience interest.

As the industry evolves, Wondery’s departure could lead to shifts in podcast production in both countries, giving local media companies and independent creators the chance to play a key role in the next phase of podcasting in Latin America.

The Cue team wishes all those affected the best of luck in their next endeavours.