Spotify reportedly in “advanced stages” of acquiring podcast company for $230M

The reports include a reminder that Gimlet’s last public valuation, based on venture capital funding, hovered somewhere around $70 million in August 2017. Spotify has previously acquired smaller music- and streaming-related companies, including the music-rights data firm Loudr.fm and the virtual studio service Soundtrap. , but neither acquisition’s cost has been publicly announced (nor have either of those been rumored to be anywhere near $230 million). More importantly, those acquisitions have revolved around platforms and technologies, not potentially exclusive series and content.

Gimlet’s public cache has been on the rise thanks to one particular 2018 development: the adaptation of Gimlet’s fictional, radio-drama podcast as a TV series. This series, which received a two-season order, debuted as an Amazon Video exclusive in November of last year, is produced and directed by creator Sam Esmail, and stars Julia Roberts.

Such an acquisition would see Spotify beef up its exclusive podcast library, which currently consists of music-related talk shows such as and . None of the reports confirm whether an acquisition would lock down any of Gimlet’s past or present series as Spotify exclusives.