Audacy Shuts Down Pineapple Street Studios, Lays Off 30

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, June 27, 2025 | 4:17pm CT

Pineapple Street Studios

Audacy is closing down Pineapple Street Studios, the high-profile podcast production company it acquired in 2019, as part of a broader restructuring of its podcasting operations. The move will eliminate nearly 30 jobs and marks a significant step away from producing podcasts for third-party brands.

Founded in 2016 by Jenna Weiss-Berman and Max Linsky, Pineapple Street Studios earned a reputation for crafting popular and critically acclaimed audio content. The studio produced branded and companion podcasts for major TV series including House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Hacks, Chernobyl, and And Just Like That... for HBO and HBO Max, as well as Severance and Foundation for Apple TV+.

Audacy, formerly Entercom Communications, acquired Pineapple Street alongside Cadence13 in 2019 in a deal reportedly worth $18 million. While Cadence13 and 2400Sports were consolidated under the Audacy Podcasts brand earlier this year, Pineapple Street had maintained its identity until now.

"This difficult decision aligns our resources with our core strengths and the most promising growth areas for our podcasting business. We're sorry to say goodbye to talented colleagues and are grateful for their contributions," an Audacy spokesperson said.

The closure signals a strategic shift for Audacy, which will now focus more heavily on its owned-and-operated shows and less on outsourced or branded content. The company will continue to produce and distribute hit podcasts such as We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle and Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade under the Audacy Podcasts banner.

Some existing Pineapple Street projects are being transitioned into Audacy Podcasts, including The Severance Podcast for Apple TV+, which resumes with five new episodes starting June 26 and more planned for fall 2025. The series will continue in partnership with Red Hour and Great Scott.

Audacy has undergone significant organizational changes in the past year. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2024, the company emerged in September under a new ownership group led by Soros Fund Management. In March, Audacy named Kelli Turner as permanent President and CEO and laid off approximately 200 employees across multiple divisions.

The shutdown of Pineapple Street Studios, first reported by Bloomberg, underscores the ongoing consolidation within the podcast industry as companies adjust to shifting economics and audience behavior.