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Oprah Winfrey’s podcast lands at Amazon as part of multiyear deal

NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s podcast is headed to Amazon.

Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Entertainment, struck a multiyear deal to give Amazon-owned Wondery exclusive distributing and advertising rights to “The Oprah Podcast,” the companies announced Monday. Under the agreement, Winfrey’s podcast will expand to two new episodes a week starting this summer — and Wondery will distribute the show’s audio and video across Amazon platforms.

Under the deal, Amazon has also obtained rights to the library of the widely-watched “The Oprah Winfrey Show” — which ran from 1986 to 2011 — as well as the talk show host’s book club and “Favorite Things” franchises.

No financial terms of the agreement were immediately shared. In recent years, Winfrey also has had partnerships with Apple and Starbucks. Her new agreement could anger independent booksellers who regard Amazon as their primary competitor. A spokesperson for the trade group the American Booksellers Association did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Harpo shared a statement with The Associated Press that “’Oprah’s Book Club’ will continue to support books wherever they are sold.”

Winfrey’s podcast joins a lineup of other celebrity-led shows now at Amazon. In 2024, for example, Wondery similarly reached an exclusive distribution and advertising deal for “New Heights” — a podcast from Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce.

Winfrey launched “The Oprah Podcast” in December 2024. In a prepared statement Monday, Winfrey said that hosting the show “allows me to continue the work I feel called to do – opening the door for conversations that matter.” She added that expanding its reach “is an opportunity I embrace.”

Wondery will begin distributing “The Oprah Podcast” across Amazon services like Prime Video, Amazon Music, Fire TV Channels and Audible in July, according to Monday’s announcement. Winfrey’s podcast will also continue to be available on YouTube and other popular platforms.

Dutch court allows rapper Ye concerts in the Netherlands

AMSTERDAM (AP) — A judge in Amsterdam on Wednesday rejected an appeal by a Jewish organization to block two performances by the rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, ruling that the concerts are not a threat to public order. Ye has drawn widespread controversy in recent years for a series of antisemitic remarks, leaving Dutch authorities under mounting pressure to cancel the gigs on June 6 and 8. The Central Jewish Council filed the emergency lawsuit on Tuesday, arguing that Ye should be banned from the country for voicing admiration for Adolf Hilter and selling T-shirts featuring swastikas. According to the Amsterdam District Court, there were no grounds to bar Ye from performing. “There are no indications that West’s presence in the coming days will lead to concrete public order dangers,” the court said in a statement.
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