Wondery is expanding its podcast audience to kids ages 4 to 12 with a new, ad-free kids’ podcast subscription service – Wondery Plus Kids. For $4.99 a month, kids can listen to original series like Little Stories Everywhere and Imagined Life Family and Melon’s House Party, reports Variety. Though Wondery is owned by Amazon, Wondery Plus Kids launched exclusively on Apple Podcasts on September 28.
In addition to these shows, the new kids’ podcast subscription service will include content from Tinkercast, who Wondery partnered with in August. As a result of the partnership, Wondery has exclusive distribution, merchandise and ad sales rights to two Tinkercast podcasts for kids – Who, When, Wow!, Wow in the World and Flip and Mozi’s Guide to How to be an Earthling, says Kidscreen.
Other content kids and their parents can expect to find on Wondery Plus Kids includes Audible originals like Grandma for President, The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories, Letters from Camp and Highlights Mystery Theater.
“There is a significant opportunity in the marketplace for high-quality kids podcasts from trusted creators,” said Jen Sargent, Wondery CEO, in an article for The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re excited to offer parents safe, screen-free, ad-free, entertaining and educational podcasts with our new Wondery+ Kids offering on Apple Podcasts.”
Wondery Kids Plus subscribers will get access to all Wondery original podcasts one-week early. For those who don’t use Apple Podcasts, Wondery Plus Kids subscribers can join Wondery Plus directly from Wondery online at Wondery.com, via the Wondery app for iPhone and Android, or via free third-party podcast apps.
“For those who love our shows the way they are already, rest assured, all currently available ad-supported Wondery Kids shows will continue to be available free with ads wherever you get your podcasts. Find links to listen free on your favorite podcast app from our website,” says Wondery in their FAQs.
Wondery Plus
The Wondery Plus Kids podcast subscription service is different than Wondery Plus, a separate podcast subscription service. Available for $4.99 a month or $34.99 a year, Wondery Plus is an ad-free, premium podcast subscription service available on Apple Podcasts. Wondery Plus features programs like Meditation, The Apology Line, The Sneak, MANslaughter, Spy Affair, This is Actually Happen, Imagined sleep and The Sneak, among others. All Wondery subscribers get free access to all Wondery Plus Kids podcasts for no additional cost.
With a Wondery Plus subscription, subscribers get access to more than 150 shows and 15,000 episodes of premium podcasts, all without ads. They also get early access to new episodes of top shows and mini-series like Dr. Death, Over My Dead Body, SmartLess, Business Wars and Even the Rich.
Insider Take
This is a bit of a no brainer. Wondery Kids Plus is available for $4.99 a month and gives kids access to their favorite Wondery Kids shows without ads. They also get early access to new episodes. But if their parents subscribe to Wondery Plus, parents and kids alike get access to all the shows ad-free – for the same price. Essentially, Wondery Plus is showing added value by trying to create a separate subscription just for kids. It seems more like a ploy to get the parents to subscribe and to explore their other content.
