Vox Media said it is acquiring Cafe Studios Inc., the publisher of a popular podcast hosted by former Manhattan lawyer Preet Bharara, as part of an offer to expand its growing audio business.
The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction. Mr. Bharara will join Vox Media as the host, co-founder and creative director of Cafe, which will continue to exist as a brand. Mr Bharara will report to Vox Media Studios President Marty Moe.
Abandoned by Some Spider Inc. in 2020, Cafe Studios publishes a handful of podcasts, including “Stay Tuned With Preet,” the talk show about Mr. Bharara’s current events and pop culture; “Grade III”, a show of legal analysis; and “Doing Justice,” a narrative podcast based on a book by Mr. Bharara of the same name.
In an interview, Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff said Cafe Studios deserves to be bought because of its strong advertising activity, the quality of its shows and its subscription activity. Cafe Studios charges subscribers for access to exclusive podcasts, a business model that Mr. Bankoff said he is interested in exploring.
“Vox Media is a company that relies on talented and creative people, which connects and creates authority and community with a wide audience,” said Mr Bankoff. “And that’s exactly what Preet and the Cafe team did.”