Stitcher
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryPodcasting
FoundedAugust 8, 2008; 15 years ago (2008-08-08)
Founders
  • Noah Shanok
  • Mike Ghaffary
  • Peter deVroede
DefunctAugust 29, 2023 (2023-08-29)
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
ParentSirius XM
Subsidiaries
  • Midroll Media
  • Earwolf
  • Stitcher Originals
  • Stitcher
Websitestitcher.com

Stitcher was a media company that specialized in the creation, distribution, and monetization of podcasts.[1] Stitcher created original shows through networks such as Earwolf and Witness Docs. Stitcher provided ad sales and distribution services to 300+ shows. Stitcher was home to one of the largest podcast listening apps. In July 2020, it was acquired by SiriusXM. The acquisition was finalized by 19 October 2020.

History

Stitcher was founded in 2008 by Noah Shanok, Mike Ghaffary, and Peter deVroede.[2] The company began with just its listening app, entitled "Stitcher", and was venture-backed until 2014 when the company was acquired by Deezer.[3] In 2016, Deezer sold Stitcher for $4.5 million to Midroll Media, a digital media company founded in 2012 which had been acquired by E.W. Scripps Company in 2015.[4][5][6] In 2017, Midroll Media underwent a rebranding, making Stitcher the parent company to Midroll Media and Earwolf, another entity under the E.W. Scripps network.[7]

In July 2020, Sirius XM acquired the Stitcher company for $325 million.[8] Following the acquisition, Sirius XM integrated Stitcher's exclusive podcasts into its additional music and podcast listening service, Pandora. At the peak of its popularity, Stitcher was reported to have nearly 14.5 million weekly users.[9][10]

In June 2023, Stitcher announced that the podcast service would be discontinued on August 29, 2023, as the parent company, SiriusXM, wanted to focus on incorporating podcasts into the flagship SiriusXM subscription. The production side of the company, Stitcher Studios and Earwolf, are expected to continue.[11]

Operations

Users could listen to and download podcasts through Stitcher's mobile apps on iOS or Android, as well as through dedicated hardware integrations such as Sonos, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, or through a web browser. Stitcher also offered Stitcher Premium, a subscription service that allowed listeners to access exclusive ad-free podcasts, which was announced at the end of 2016 and went live early 2017.[12]

Stitcher operated three original content networks with over fifty shows from Earwolf (home to shows like Comedy Bang! Bang!, Office Ladies, How Did This Get Made?), Witness Docs (Unfinished: Deep South, The Dream, Verified), and Stitcher Originals (The Sporkful, By The Book, Science Rules!).[13]

Reception

Stitcher's revenue has been reported to increase 42% year over year, with its 2019 revenue reaching $73 million.[14] Prior versions of the app have been recognized as one of the best podcast apps for both Android and iOS.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Stitcher - The Best Place For Podcasts". Stitcher. Archived from the original on 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  2. ^ Siegler, MG (April 20, 2008). "Stitcher reads you headlines, we have invites". VentureBeat.
  3. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (October 24, 2014). "Deezer Buys Stitcher, Adds 35K Talk Radio Shows And Podcasts To Its Music Platform". TechCrunch.com. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. ^ Lawler, Richard (June 6, 2016). "Deezer sells Stitcher less than two years after purchasing it". Engadget.com. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  5. ^ Perlberg, Steven (June 6, 2016). "E.W. Scripps Buys Podcast Company Stitcher". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  6. ^ Quah, Nicholas (2016-06-07). "Hot Pod: Is the Stitcher deal a step toward a closed podcast ecosystem?". Nieman Lab. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
  7. ^ Weissman, Cale Guthrie (2018-09-11). "Exclusive: Stitcher is taking over Midroll Media in branding refresh". Fast Company. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  8. ^ Carman, Ashley (2020-07-13). "SiriusXM is buying Stitcher for $325 million". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  9. ^ Ivanova, Irina (2023-06-27). "Stitcher parent shuts down podcasting app - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  10. ^ Mendez, Andrew (2022-08-24). "SiriusXM digs into subscription-based podcast market". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  11. ^ "Stitcher Farewell FAQ". Stitcher Helpshift. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  12. ^ Whitwam, Ryan (December 12, 2016). "Stitcher Radio updated to v3.8 with SD card support, ad-free premium upgrade, and more". Android Police. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Stitcher announces slate of new and returning shows on its Stitcher Originals and Earwolf networks this fall". Podnews. August 6, 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  14. ^ Spangler, Todd (July 6, 2020). "SiriusXM Nears Deal to Buy Stitcher Podcast Network". Variety. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  15. ^ Badicicco, Lisa (February 20, 2018). "The 5 Best Podcast Apps for Android and iPhone". TIME. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

External links

Podcast clients
Categories