Aug 4 (Reuters) - Amazon.com ( AMZN ) is restructuring

the Wondery podcast studio by shifting its award-winning

narrative podcasts such as "Business Wars" to Audible and

consolidating creator-led shows into a new unit, according to a

memo seen by Reuters.

About 110 employees will be laid off as part of the process,

while many Wondery employees will transition to other parts of

Amazon ( AMZN ), the company said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Wondery CEO Jen Sargent will depart the company following a

transition period, the memo said.

Intense competition in the expensive podcast industry as

well as a growing focus on creator-led video content have

prompted audio streaming companies including Spotify ( SPOT ) to

diversify their podcasts as they look to lower costs and attract

more users to their platforms.

"As video podcasting has grown in popularity, we have

learned that creator-led, video-integrated shows have different

audience needs and require distinct discovery, growth and

monetization strategies compared to audio-first, narrative

series," Steve Boom, vice president of audio, Twitch and games

at Amazon ( AMZN ), wrote in the memo.

Wondery was acquired by Amazon ( AMZN ) in 2021 and has seen podcast

revenue quadruple since then as the studio expanded its slate to

include video podcasts and creator-driven series, according to

the memo.

Under the new structure, Wondery's narrative podcast studio

- home to shows such as "Dr. Death" and "American Scandal" -

along with the Wondery+ subscription service, will move to

Audible, the e-commerce giant's audio platform.

Its creator-focused podcast team that produces shows

including "Mind the Game", "New Heights", and "Armchair Expert"

will join a new Creator Services group within Amazon's ( AMZN ) Talent

Services division.

This new team will continue to operate the creator-focused

podcast studio under the Wondery brand.

"By making these changes, we can better support creators

in monetizing their content across multiple channels," Amazon ( AMZN )

said.

Bloomberg News first reported on the Wondery overhaul.