Popular podcast listening app Stitcher is to be shut down at the end of August, parent company SiriusXM has announced, as part of a wider effort to drive more users to its core SXM app.
The service will officially close for good on 29 August this year, almost 15 years after it first launched. The broadcasting company, which also owns the Earwolf podcast network and online radio platform Pandora, said that the decision was based on a desire to integrate podcasts more deeply into its strategy.
“SiriusXM, the owner of Stitcher, is focused on incorporating podcasts into its flagship SiriusXM subscription business,” an update on the Stitcher support page read. “Subscribers can listen to podcasts within the SiriusXM app and will see an all-new listening experience later this year. All podcasts on Stitcher can also be found anywhere else podcasts are distributed.”
The closure is not anticipated to result in any layoffs, and the Stitcher team is “fully integrated” into the wider SXM organisation, according to an internal memo from chief ad revenue officer John Trimble, chief product and technology officer Joe Inzerillo, and chief content officer Scott Greenstein, first seen by Bloomberg.
“Podcasts are an important part of both our subscription and advertising strategies,” it read. “The scale and reach of our widely distributed podcasts has been and remains a crucial accelerant for our advertising sales business, while incorporating podcasts more holistically into our flagship SiriusXM subscription service will help to drive further growth.”
The news comes amid a growing battle for advertising dollars, as podcast platforms and ad networks scramble to maximise their potential reach in order to attract higher-value campaigns.
