Spotify acquired the podcast network Gimlet Media in 2019.
The deal was announced on February 6, 2019, alongside Spotify’s acquisition of Anchor, a podcast creation and distribution platform. Spotify presented both purchases as part of a strategy to become a major audio company rather than rely mainly on music subscriptions and advertising.
Gimlet had been founded in 2014 by Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber and became known for highly produced narrative and interview programs, including StartUp, Reply All, and Homecoming. Its reputation for podcast production made it especially valuable to Spotify as the service expanded its original and exclusive programming.
The acquisition was completed in February 2019. Reports commonly valued the Gimlet transaction at roughly $230 million, although Spotify’s initial announcement did not disclose the purchase price. Gimlet’s shows later became part of Spotify’s broader podcast-studio operations, and the company was eventually folded into a reorganized Spotify Studios division.