Spotify may be in talks to buy culture outlet The Ringer

Spotify might be making one of its biggest moves yet in its bid to conquer the podcasting world. Wall Street Journal sources say the streaming company is in "early" talks to acquire The Ringer, the sports- and pop culture-oriented outlet founded by ex-ESPN personality Bill Simmons (above). While it's not guaranteed this would lead to a deal, a purchase would give Spotify control of over 30 podcasts (including The Bill Simmons Podcast) that rake in over 100 million downloads per month.

We've asked Spotify if it can comment.

There's no mystery as to why Spotify might buy The Ringer. As with earlier deals, this could entice more listeners to use Spotify and, theoretically, entice some to subscribe. The podcasts themselves could be lucrative. The Ringer is believed to have made $15 million through its podcasts in 2018 alone. Whatever Spotify spent to buy The Ringer might be recouped before long.