Spotify cancels slate of 11 original podcasts as it redirects funding to big new hits

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Spotify is canceling a series of original podcasts for the first time in the company’s history as it reallocates resources after launching major new shows from Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian.

Ten internal original shows will be shut down next month, while production will be shut down next year, according to the Hollywood reporterwho first reported the move on Thursday.

The cuts will reportedly impact less than 5 percent of Spotify’s podcast staff, and some staffers will be reassigned to other podcasts.

Spotify currently has a list of over 500 original and exclusive shows and has invested heavily in its own content to attract new subscribers.

Kim Kardashian

Meghan Marklea

Meghan Marklea

After signing major podcast deals with Kim Kardashian (left) and Meghan Markle (right), Spotify is cleaning the house by closing 11 other original shows for the first time

The podcasts that get the ax are produced by Spotify, Parcast and Gimlet’s own production studios.

Gimlet’s How To Save A Planet, Crime Show and Every Little Thing end next month.

Parcast’s Medical Murders, Female Criminals, Crimes of Passion, Dictator, Mythology, Haunted Places and Urban Legends will also be completed next month.

Another Parcast show, Horoscope Today, will also stop production next year.

Spotify confirmed the cuts to The edgesaying they won’t affect shows from its other subsidiaries, The Ringer and Spotify Studios.

Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.

The news comes days after the debut of Kardashian’s new Spotify podcast, The System, which addresses alleged cases of wrongful criminal convictions.

Kardashian’s podcast was released the same day she agreed to be fined $1 million to settle federal charges that she promoted a cryptocurrency to her 330 million Instagram followers without making it clear that she was being paid for it.

Also, Spotify has now released five episodes of Markle’s podcast called Archetypes, a show that aims to “investigate, dissect and subvert the labels that try to stop women.”

Markle and her husband Prince Harry first signed a multi-year deal with Spotify at the end of 2020, reportedly worth $25 million.

Kardashian’s deal with the audio streamer also came in 2020, although the dollar amount of the contract has not been reliably reported.

Spotify has also spent a ton of money making popular existing shows exclusive to the platform, including Joe Rogan’s acclaimed $100 million deal and another $60 million exclusive deal for Alex Cooper’s show Call Her Daddy.

Currently, Spotify’s podcast charts are topped by Call Her Daddy, The Joe Rogan Experience, The System, and Archetypes, in that order.

1665110608 524 Spotify cancels slate of 11 original podcasts as it redirects

1665110608 524 Spotify cancels slate of 11 original podcasts as it redirects

Spotify has now released five episodes of Markle’s podcast called Archetypes, a show that aims to investigate, dissect and subvert “the labels that try to stop women.”

Kardashian's new Spotify podcast, The System, dives into alleged cases of wrongful criminal convictions

Kardashian's new Spotify podcast, The System, dives into alleged cases of wrongful criminal convictions

Kardashian’s new Spotify podcast, The System, dives into alleged cases of wrongful criminal convictions

Spotify has also spent a massive amount of money making popular existing shows exclusive to the platform, including Joe Rogan's acclaimed $100 million deal.

Spotify has also spent a massive amount of money making popular existing shows exclusive to the platform, including Joe Rogan's acclaimed $100 million deal.

Spotify has also spent a ton of money making popular existing shows exclusive to the platform, including Joe Rogan’s acclaimed $100 million deal.

The cuts follow major staff changes at the Parcast and Gimlet studios involved.

This summer, Gimlet director Lydia Polgreen left the studio, while Parcast founder Max Cutler was promoted to head of content creators and partnerships in the spring.

Amid the cuts, Spotify announced new headlines for the two studios.

Nicole Beemsterboer takes over at Gimlet after joining Spotify in March after 15 years at NPR.

Liliana Kim will lead Parcast after three years as CEO of APM Studios.

Both Parcast and Gimlet come under Julie McNamara, who joined Spotify last year as head of talk studios.