Wondrium
TypePrivate
IndustryEducation
Founded1990 (1990)
Founders
  • Thomas M. Rollins
Headquarters
Chantilly, Virginia
,
United States
Products
  • The Great Courses
  • Wondrium
Owner
Websitethegreatcourses.com
wondrium.com
Some of the course materials produced by The Teaching Company.
Courses available through Wondrium
A former company logo.

The Teaching Company, doing business as Wondrium, is a media production company that produces educational, video and audio content in the form of courses, documentaries, series under two content brands – Wondrium and The Great Courses.[1] The company distributes their content globally through a mix of Direct to Consumer models such as their streaming service Wondrium.com and TheGreatCourses.com, as well distribution through third party platforms like the Apple TV app, Audible, Amazon Prime, and Roku.[2]

Wondrium, founded by Tom Rollins in 1990, is currently owned by Brentwood Associates PE and is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia.

History

In 1990, the company was founded by Thomas M. Rollins, former Chief Counsel of the United States Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.[3][4] Rollins had been inspired by a 10-hour video-taped lecture series by Irving Younger he watched to prepare for an exam while at Harvard Law School. He never forgot the series and wanted to share the experience with others.[5] He began recruiting professors and experts to record lectures, with the first courses covering psychology, political theory, and Shakespeare.[3][5]

By 2000, the company was well-established, with about $20 million (USD) in annual revenue.[3]

In October 2006, the company was acquired by Brentwood Associates, a private equity investment firm.[6] The company’s catalog grew from 20 million to almost 70 million and digitized 6,000 hours of content.[5][6] Sales increased more than 35% the first year and then continued to grow at a double-digit pace.[6] In 2013, indirect distribution channels, including Audible.com, Amazon Instant Video, Comcast Video on Demand, and Netflix were added.[5]

In 2015, the company introduced its online subscription service, The Great Courses Plus, which gave lifelong learners streaming access to the majority of The Great Courses content library through a web browser or iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV app.[5][7] A year later it introduced The Great Courses Signature Collection, a subset of Great Courses content offered as a subscription video service through their party platforms like Comcast, Amazon Channels, Apple TV, and Roku Channels.[8][2][9]

In 2016, the firm was earning $150 million annually in revenue.[5]

In April 2021, the company announced the rebranding of its global streaming platform from the Great Courses Plus to Wondrium.[10][11] Along with the rebranding, the company announced 1,000 hours of new content from licensing agreements with Kino Lorber, MagellanTV, and Craftsy.[11]

As of 2021, it included over 7,500 hours of content in the format of documentary and independent films, docuseries, short-form series, featurettes, courses, and tutorials.[11][12] There are over 1,200 titles with more than 26,000 lectures.[11]

Content

Wondrium produces video and audio content under its two brands: Wondrium and The Great Courses. Both brands focus on educational content with the promise of learning outcomes.[13] The Wondrium line of content, while also educational focused, focuses on learning experiences outside of the influence of traditional University curriculum and takes other content forms outside of courses such as documentaries, docuseries, and travelogues.[11] The Great Courses line of content typically features University level experts and professors presenting in-depth learning across multiple lectures. Courses are developed by the experts and the Wondrium production team.[13] Many of the programs’ episodes are around thirty minutes.[13]

The production quality of the courses is "a cut above" free courses offered on YouTube, according to a report in The New York Times.[5] Chief executive Paul Suijk described the company as the "Netflix of learning."[5]

Content covers different subjects and categories such as science, math, economics, literature, language, history, religion, philosophy, fine arts, music, better living, health, wellness, how-to courses, personal enrichment, hobbies and leisure, and travel.[13][8][14][10][11] The company has partnerships with the Culinary Institute of America, the Smithsonian Institution, the Mayo Clinic, National Geographic, Penguin Random House, Scientific American, and others.[13][5][7] Self-described fans include Bill Gates and George Lucas, who delivered taped opening remarks to a Great Courses conference in 2015.[7][15]

As of December 2019, the company lists the following categories and numbers of courses:

  • Better Living (187)
  • Economics & Finance (27)
  • Fine Arts (31)
  • High School (39)
  • History (229)
  • Literature & Language (109)
  • Mathematics (48)
  • Music (36)
  • Philosophy & Intellectual History (120)
  • Professional (75)
  • Religion (83)
  • Science (191)

Professors & experts

Most programs are delivered by an expert in the respective field.[16] The lectures often involve computer graphics and animations; some offer an optional PDF guidebook to serve as a custom-made textbook for the course.[16]

The following experts and university professors, among others, have authored courses.

In 2022, Wondrium ordered three seasons of a new speaker series called “Wondrium Insights.”[17] Its speakers included:[17]

In February 2023, Wondrium announced several new instructors and programs:[18]

  • “The Banjo: Music, History and Heritage” led by Grammy-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens
  • “Elevate Your Everyday Cooking with Curtis Stone” taught by Michelin-starred chef Curtis Stone
  • “The Power of Storytelling” (working title) with NPR host Ari Shapiro leading the instruction
  • “Road Trip: Searching for Psychedelic Truth” led by TV producer/host Selema Masekela

Audio-only titles available through Audible

While many Wondrium titles are available through Audible under The Great Courses brand, the company also produces a line of audio only titles exclusively for the Audible Originals brand. As of 2022 the company has produced over 75 of those titles including:[19][20]

  • The Life and Times of Beethoven
  • Falling in Love with Romance Movies
  • Raising Curious Kids

Distribution


Wondrium distributes and monetizes their content through a number of ways, including direct to consumer models and through partnership with third party distributors.

Wondrium

Wondrium is the company's direct to consumer subscription streaming service that offers most of what Wondrium and The Great Courses produces as well as additional licensed non-fiction content from select partners.[12] This streaming service is distributed globally.[17] In 2021, it offered about 7,500 hours of content with three pricing options: a monthly plan, a quarterly plan, and an annual plan.[12][17] It is available on mobile, web, and platforms such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, and Android.[12][11] Wondrium offers both video streaming and audio streaming.[11]

The Great Courses Signature Collection

The Great Courses Signature Collection is the second streaming subscription service offered by the company that is distributed by third parties, including Comcast, Roku Channels, Amazon Channels, YouTube, and Apple TV and focuses specifically on The Great Courses line of content.[21][9][8] It contains a limited portion of the total count Wondrium and The Great Courses produces and releases relative to the Wondrium streaming service. This collection consists of more than 300 courses on subjects such as philosophy, ancient and modern history, photography, professional development, science and cooking.[8]

Audible

In 2013, courses were made available through Audible under The Great Courses brand.[22][5] In 2019, the two companies announced their plan to create new audio-only nonfiction titles.[20] The first three titles were Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories: What We Should Believe - and Why, Medieval Myths and Mysteries, and No Calculator? No Problem!: Mastering Mental Math.[20]

Great Courses (TheGreatCourses.com)

These titles are available to purchase digitally, audio or video, or through DVD.[23] Customers can choose from over 1,200 titles in subject categories including the arts, science, literature, self-improvement, history, music, philosophy, theology, economics, mathematics, business, professional advancement, photography, and cooking.[23]

True History

True History is a Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) channel.[24] It features over 650 hours of nonfiction programming from Wondrium, and is available through SelectTV (FreeCast) Roku, Xumo, and others.[25][26][27]

Wondrium Journeys

Wondrium Journeys are immersive vacations “designed to bring the company’s vast collection of travel courses, videos, documentaries, and series to life.”[28] The first vacation was a 9-day, 8-night trip inspired by the company’s course Exploring the Mayan World.[28]

Reception

An article in Forbes said that Wondrium has a “smorgasbord of online educational videos. Where MasterClass emphasizes glitz and glamor, Wondrium streams classes and documentaries that will make [users] feel like [they] are in a fascinating and engaging college lecture hall.”[29]

Another review in PCMag, said that the courses are “ideal for couch-side edutainment.”[30] It continued with, “Wondrium’s sweet spot is content catering to your curiosity…The instructors are professionals in their fields…What you don’t get on Wondrium are unvetted amateurs uploading courses to the platform. Sites such as Teachable let anyone develop and upload a course.[30] While you may find rather instructive content on Teachable or even YouTube for that matter, there’s no guarantee of the quality. Wondrium doesn’t have that issue at all. All the content is professionally created and produced.”[30]

The Norwalk Reflector shared that, “Wondrium is a new streamer which offers lectures from the best professors across the U.S. (voted by students NOT administrators). They are talking about their favorite subjects, and unlike some of the droning teachers we might have had in the past, these are completely engrossing.”[31]

In a gift guide, ZDNet recommended The Great Courses Plus for anyone with a “passion for and curiosity to learn new things.”[32] It described the collection as “a huge library of college-level courses taught by some of the world’s greatest professors from prestigious universities and institutions around the globe.”[32]

CNet said, “Wondrium (formerly known as The Great Courses Plus) is more geared toward actual learning than skill development. Sure there are still plenty of amazing courses available about hobbies and trades like baking and woodworking, but there’s also so much more. For example, courses that are designed to teach you about history, not how to be a historian.”[33]

Regional Emmy Award

Going to the Devil: The Impeachment of 1868 (Nominee, 2020)[13]

Buzzies Award

  • Mind-Blowing Science - Season 1 (Nominee, 2021: Science/Long-form) [34]
  • John Lewis: Witness to History  (Nominee, 2021: History/Short-format) [34]
  • Black Inventors: Hair Care and Madame C.J. Walker (Winner: Best History Program/Content - one-off or series -short-format) [35]

Webby Award

  • John Lewis: Witness to History (Winner, 2021: People’s Choice Documentary in History) [34]

AIBs Award

  • Solving for Zero (Winner, 2022: Science and Technology - TV/Video)[35]

References

  1. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2021-04-27). "The Teaching Co. Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded 'Wondrium' Service". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  2. 1 2 "The Great Courses Signature Collection Now Available Through Apple TV Channels". MacRumors. 4 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  3. 1 2 3 MacDonald, Heather (2011-06-21). "Great Courses, Great Profits". City Journal (New York).
  4. ↑ Bales, Kate (1994-02-16). "Ivy League Courses for Price of a Video". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Max, Sarah (2016-05-27). "Born in the VCR Era, Great Courses Seeks to Evolve". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-03-27. ... top educators accessible to the masses, the Great Courses built a loyal audience of lifelong learners by making "the world's greatest professors" ...
  6. 1 2 3 Max, Sarah (2013-07-29). "If Its Customers Love a Business, This Equity Firm Does, Too". The New York Times.
  7. 1 2 3 Martell, Nevin (2015-09-03). "Before YouTube and online classes, there were the Great Courses". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Snider, Mike. "Cutting the Cord: Hit the books with The Great Courses on Amazon Prime". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  9. 1 2 "YouTube TV - See All Channels". YouTube TV - Watch & DVR Live Sports, Shows & News. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  10. 1 2 Duffy, Hill (2022-01-13). "Wondrium Review". PCMAG. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Spangler, Todd (2021-04-27). "The Teaching Co. Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded 'Wondrium' Service". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Hepburn, Tmera (2021-06-09). "Educational Streaming Platform The Great Courses Plus Rebrands as Wondrium". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maher, John (2020-11-06). "The Great Courses' Great 30th Year". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  14. ↑ Johnson, Dave. "Get smarter without leaving home: Here's a free month of The Great Courses Plus". CNET. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  15. ↑ "The 4 Learning Hacks Bill Gates Swears By". Time. 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  16. 1 2 Johnson, Dave. "Get smarter without leaving home: Here's a free month of The Great Courses Plus". CNET. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Schneider, Michael (2022-04-04). "'Wondrium Insights' Launches This Summer with Sugar Ray Leonard, Diana Nyad, Mary Lambert and Others". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  18. ↑ David (2023-02-14). "Wondrium Review: Our Advice for 2023". Course Retriever. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  19. ↑ "The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com". WTOP News. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  20. 1 2 3 Rowe, Adam. "Audible And The Great Courses Pair For Original Audio Courses". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  21. ↑ "The Great Courses Signature Collection Now Available Through Apple TV Channels". MacRumors. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  22. ↑ "Audible: The Great Courses".
  23. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (2021-04-27). "The Teaching Co. Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded 'Wondrium' Service". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  24. ↑ GetNews. "FreeCast's SelectTV Adds True History from Wondrium". Digital Journal. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  25. ↑ True History Channel, retrieved 2023-03-28
  26. ↑ Barnes, Jess (2021-11-16). "The Roku Channel Adds 15 New Channels to Its Free Lineup". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  27. ↑ GetNews. "FreeCast's SelectTV Adds True History from Wondrium". Digital Journal. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  28. 1 2 "ATA Partners with Wondrium to launch Wondrium Journeys". Academic Travel Abroad. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  29. ↑ Perenson, Melissa. "The Best Gifts For Dads: 51 Gift Ideas To Make His Days Merry And Bright". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  30. 1 2 3 "Wondrium Review". PCMAG. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  31. ↑ "Lionel Richie ready to take his seat as 'America Idol' judge". norwalkreflector.com. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  32. 1 2 "Best Father's Day gift 2020: Online tech subscriptions". ZDNET. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  33. ↑ McHone, Max. "Give the Gift of Learning With These Subscriptions". CNET. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  34. 1 2 3 "Congress '21 unveils nominees for Buzzies Awards". Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  35. 1 2 "The AIBs | Celebrating the world's best factual content". theaibs.tv. Retrieved 2023-04-06.

Bibliography

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