Barack and Michelle Obama are calling an audible.
The former president and first lady's media company, Higher Ground, has signed a multi-year podcasting deal with Amazon's Audible.
"At Higher Ground, we have always sought to lift up voices that deserve to be heard — and Audible is invested in realizing that vision alongside us," Barack Obama said. "I'm looking forward to partnering with them to tell stories that not only entertain but also inspire."
The Obamas previously had a podcast deal at Spotify, which was signed in 2019. Some of the shows they produced there included Renegades: Born in the USA, hosted by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, as well as The Michelle Obama Podcast. Higher Ground also produced some shows that the Obamas themselves didn't host, including the pop culture podcast The Big Hit Show.
But in April, Variety reported that the Obamas planned to end the Spotify deal after being "frustrated with the company's exclusive terms" and wanting to "have their podcast programming distributed as widely as possible." Michelle Obama said that in partnership with Audible, Higher Ground will continue producing "compelling, provocative, and soulful stories" while doing "everything we can to make sure they reach the folks who need to hear them."
In addition to their podcasting deal, the Obamas have a production deal with Netflix. Spotify, meanwhile, previously signed a production deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Meghan is set to host a new podcast for the platform, Archetypes, this summer.