Apple Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment have each held talks about potentially acquiring Wondery, the producer of "Dirty John” and "Dr. Death,” according to people familiar with the matter, setting the stage for the biggest deal yet in the booming podcasting market.
Wondery is seeking $300 million to $400 million (about ¥31 billion to ¥41.3 billion) in a possible sale, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are ongoing.
Apple and Sony are two of at least four companies that have discussed a deal with Wondery, according to one of the people. Though Spotify Technology SA has been the most aggressive buyer of podcasting companies over the last two years, the Swedish audio giant has pulled out of the running, said two people with knowledge of the talks. A deal is expected in the coming months, but there’s no guarantee that the discussions won’t fall apart.