Podcast giant Wondery has hired Spotify’s Chris Baughen to launch its paid Wondery+ service in the UK.
Baughen will be Head of Podcasts at Wondery UK, reporting to Jessica Radburn, Head of International Podcast Content at Wondery. Based in London, he will have strategic oversight of the podcast company’s roster of UK originals, working with local talent, producers and writers and diversifying into new genres.
Baughen will take up his new position on Monday, April 29, replacing Rich Knight, who recently left the company for BBC Studios.
He is currently head of studios UK and Ireland for Spotify, where he has worked on titles such as The Louis Theroux Podcast, Parental hell, JaackMaate And The receipts. He was also head of podcast production at British audio company Global and managing editor for Global Player. At Global he created and commissioned shows such as: My therapist ghosted me, Hunting Ghislaine, The Wittering Whitehalls And Dirty ritual.
Previously, he was vice president of content and formats at Deezer and editor-in-chief of Radio X.
“When it comes to compelling, immersive and compelling storytelling, Wondery are at the forefront,” Baughen said. “To say I’m excited to join this incredible team would be a massive understatement, and I can’t wait to be part of the next chapter of their story.”
The news comes as Wondery launches its subscription service Wondery+ in the UK. It costs £5.99 ($7.50) or £44.99 per year via the Wondery app or Apple Podcasts. The service is already available in countries outside the US, including Germany, Brazil and Mexico.
The UK service offers subscribers early access to podcasts and over 45,000 ad-free episodes, including from Dr. Death, cheater And Economic wars. Wondery’s UK podcasts include: RedHanded, The spy, Who killed Daphne? And British scandala program presented by Alice Levine and Matt Forde that is entering its 40th season.
It just launched another Levine-fronted capsule. The price of paradisewhich debuted this week and is already at number one on the Apple Podcast charts in the UK and number five in the US. The show follows the turbulent true story of a woman who swaps her life in suburban Hampshire to buy a private island in the Caribbean.
At a launch event in London’s Soho yesterday, Wondery CEO Jen Sargent said the company had reached “critical mass” in the UK and was “the perfect time to bring this bespoke service to market”.
“It’s been amazing to see how podcasts have grown exponentially over the last decade, and listenership in the UK in particular has tripled since we entered this market. This underscores our fundamental belief that podcasts are for everyone, all ages and stages of life, and that’s why we’re really trying to expand the types of content we offer listeners.
She added that Wondery focuses on “everything from comedy to sports to kids and family, business, history and true crime podcasts to truly serve all the interests of our passionate listeners.”
Therefore, Wondery Chief Content Officer Marshall Lewy revealed a first British original with a sports focus: Everything to play withwhich includes stories of the biggest battles in British sporting history and stars such as Wayne Rooney.
According to Sargent, Wondery had six of the 25 best podcasts of 2023. Strikingly, German interview podcast Kurt Krömer Feelings is the company’s most important trade fair worldwide. “It’s the biggest Wondery show and it’s in German,” Sargent said. “This shows that producing local stories in the local language with local partners working with these talented local producers is not only the best creative approach to connect with listeners, but also the right commercial strategy.”
“As Wondery has entered new markets around the world, we have contributed to both the local and global growth of sonic storytelling, working with local partners and talent around the world to bring truly brilliantly told, original stories to ours listeners,” she added.
Wondery+ has been available in the US since 2021.