Headgum, the comedy podcast network, laid off about 30% of its staff earlier this month amid continued headwinds in the podcast industry.
Casey Donahue, the head of video, was among those affected.
“It was tough, but a reminder of how volatile the industry has become,” he said. “My focus has always been on building shows and visuals that elevate the talent and the brand, and I am proud of what I was able to accomplish with my team at Headgum.”
Marika Brownlee, the head of marketing, was also let go after nearly a decade at the L.A.-based company. It was only the second round of layoffs during her tenure, following another round in 2022.
“It was definitely a shock,” she said. “It was communicated in the grand scheme of — ‘These problems are happening industrywide’ — which I know is true.”
Headgum had about 22 staffers before the layoffs, which were announced on Oct. 2. The company also recently vacated its New York studio. Some were told that if the cuts were not made immediately, the company would last only a few more months.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
The podcast business has been hit hard this year. In June, Pineapple Street Studios was shut down by its owner, Audacy, costing nearly 30 jobs. Spotify also cut 15 jobs in its podcast division, curtailing the headcount at The Ringer and Spotify Studios by about 5%. Wondery laid off nearly 100 employees as Amazon reorganized the company in August.
Headgum, which has remained independent, appeared to have weathered the storm to some degree. In August, the company celebrated its 10th anniversary as leaders spoke about growth.
“We’ve built shows streamed billions of times,” CEO Marty Michael wrote on LinkedIn in August. “We’ve grown a team I love working with. But we’ve also hit major speed bumps; talent departures, ad market freezes, all the stuff they don’t include in pitch decks. Somehow, ten years later, we’re still here. Still growing. Still having fun. But now, with a real business underneath it.”
The “restructuring” was discussed Thursday on the “Doughboys” podcast, a Headgum food show hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger.
“Really they just fired a bunch of people,” Wiger said. “We don’t have any sort of comprehension of what happened. We’re just living in the aftermath. But it’s a huge fucking bummer. These are very talented people who no longer have jobs.”
The network hosts dozens of other shows, including “What’s Our Podcast?” with Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney; “Not Another D&D Podcast”; “Factually! with Adam Conover”; and “Handsome” with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin.
Leave a Reply