Credits: Social Media
Spotify x Heardle deal price could be in millions based on past spending
A deal has been struck between Spotify and Heardle, as the music streaming platform purchases the online game this summer.
Earlier this year saw the world go wild for Wordle, an online word game which inspired a string of themed puzzle games centred on six guesses.
Wordle was purchased by the New York Times for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, and now Spotify is thought to be shelling out the big bucks too.
Let’s take a look at the Spotify x Heardle deal, the potential price paid, along with the changes that are to come to Heardle as they are acquired by the streaming platform.
Spotify buys Heardle after game becomes a viral hit
On Tuesday, 12 July 2022, Spotify announced that they had acquired Heardle. While the streaming platform is not planning to make major changes – it will still remain free for players – they are adding an option for Spotify users to stream the song in full once it has been revealed.
Jeremy Erlich, Spotify’s Global Head of Music, made the announcement this July: We are always looking for innovative and playful ways to enhance music discovery and help artists reach new fans.”
“Heardle has proven to be a really fun way to connect millions of fans with songs they know and love and with new songs… and a way to compete with their friends as to who has the best musical knowledge. Since its debut, the game has quickly built a loyal following, and it aligns with our plans to deepen interactivity across the Spotify ecosystem, Erlich continued.
Users in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can play with the new Spotify streaming feature, which will soon be rolled out to millions more players around the world.
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Spotify x Heardle deal price remains undisclosed, although it follows in Wordle’s 7-figure sum
As the deal between Spotify and Heardle was made public, both companies chose to remain the price Spotify paid privately. But that hasn’t stopped some from speculating that Spotify has shelled out as much as NYT on the daily puzzle game.
The deal was announced in the third financial quarter (1 July – 30 September), although it could have been struck in the second quarter (1 April – 30 June). If it was made in the second quarter, then the price Spotify paid could be deduced from the company’s upcoming 6-K. It would come in the following 6-K if the deal was made in the third financial quarter.
By assessing the total spent on acquisitions, an estimation of the price Spotify paid for Heardle could be made.
Spotify shells out multi-millions on new acquisitions
Spotify’s spending history when it comes to acquisitions shows that the company does not shy from forking out significant sums.
In 2015, Spotify acquired Megaphone for $235M. A year later the company bought The Ringer for $196M. They’ve also reportedly spent $154M on Anchor, $194M on Gimlet, and $55M on Parcast.
It is likely that the price paid for Heardle is not in nine figures but closer to the price paid for Wordle by the New York Times.
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Players react to the move to Spotify
Inevitably, there was a mixed reaction to the Spotify x Heardle deal.
Some fans have been disappointed by the acquisition as it has deleted their Heardle streak. Each time you play, the game keeps track of your stats. For some players, their successes have been tarnished by the move to Spotify.
One (now former) player tweeted: “Guess I’m done playing Heardle – it was just acquired by Spotify. I lost my game history, and the link to get it back only exists for a microsecond. Also, the skip function is now super glitchy, making the game unplayable. Nice while it lasted…”
Another disappointed player tweeted that the move is “infinitely worse than the New York Times acquisition of Wordle.”
