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The Teaching Company

April 13, 2024

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, and 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 as distribution through third party platforms like the Apple TV app, Audible, Amazon Prime, and Roku.[2]

Wondrium
Company typePrivate
IndustryEducation
Founded1990; 34 years ago (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.

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

History edit

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 that 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] Following the acquisition, over 6,000 hours of content were digitized, and the number of courses circulated rose from 20 million to 70 million.[5][6] Sales increased more than 35% the first year and then continued to grow at a double-digit pace.[6] The company added indirect distribution channels such as Netflix and Audible to their business model in 2013.[5]

The company introduced its online subscription service in 2015 called The Great Courses Plus, which gave consumers 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 third party platforms like Comcast, Apple TV, and Roku Channels.[8][2][9]

In 2016, the firm earned $150 million in annual 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 sourced 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 documentaries, 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 edit

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 educationally focused, focuses on learning experiences outside of the influence of traditional university curriculum and takes other forms of content 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] President and CEO of Wondrium, Paul Suijk described the company as the "Netflix of learning."[5][14]

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][15][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][16]

Professors & experts edit

Most programs are delivered by experts in their respective field.[17] The lectures often involve computer graphics and animations; some offer an optional PDF guidebook to serve as a custom-made textbook for the course.[17]

Audio-only titles available through Audible edit

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:[18][19]

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

Distribution edit

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

Wondrium edit

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.[20] 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][20] 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 edit

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 of Wondrium, and The Great Courses produces and releases it 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] As of 2024, courses are offered both through a subscription to The Great Courses library and for individual purchase.

Audible edit

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.[19] 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.[19]

Great Courses (TheGreatCourses.com) edit

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 edit

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][24]

Wondrium Journeys edit

Wondrium Journeys are immersive vacations "designed to bring the company's vast collection of travel courses, videos, documentaries, and series to life."[27] The first vacation was a 9-day, 8-night trip inspired by the company's course Exploring the Mayan World. These vacations typically take place in Europe.[27]

Awards edit

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) [28]
  • John Lewis: Witness to History  (Nominee, 2021: History/Short-format) [28]
  • Black Inventors: Hair Care and Madame C.J. Walker (Winner: Best History Program/Content—one-off or series—short -short-format) [29]

Webby Award

  • John Lewis: Witness to History (Winner, 2021: People's Choice Documentary in History) [28]

AIBs Award

  • Solving for Zero (Winner, 2022: Science and Technology - TV/Video)[29]

References edit

  1. ^ Spangler, Todd (2021-04-27). "The Teaching Co. Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded 'Wondrium' Service". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c MacDonald, Heather (2011-06-21). "Great Courses, Great Profits". City Journal (New York).
  4. ^ Bales, Kate (1994-02-16). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. ^ a b c Max, Sarah (2013-07-29). "If Its Customers Love a Business, This Equity Firm Does, Too". The New York Times.
  7. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c d Snider, Mike. "Cutting the Cord: Hit the books with The Great Courses on Amazon Prime". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  9. ^ a b "YouTube TV - See All Channels". YouTube TV - Watch & DVR Live Sports, Shows & News. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  10. ^ a b Duffy, Hill (2022-01-13). "Wondrium Review". PCMAG. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Spangler, Todd (2021-04-27). "The Teaching Co. Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded 'Wondrium' Service". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  12. ^ a b c d Hepburn, Tmera (2021-06-09). "Educational Streaming Platform The Great Courses Plus Rebrands as Wondrium". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Maher, John (2020-11-06). "The Great Courses' Great 30th Year". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  14. ^ Suijk, Pail. "Paul Suijk, President & CEO at Wondrium". Linkedin. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  15. ^ Johnson, Dave. "Get smarter without leaving home: Here's a free month of The Great Courses Plus". CNET. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  16. ^ "The 4 Learning Hacks Bill Gates Swears By". Time. 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  17. ^ a b Johnson, Dave. "Get smarter without leaving home: Here's a free month of The Great Courses Plus". CNET. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  18. ^ "The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com". WTOP News. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  19. ^ a b c Rowe, Adam. "Audible And The Great Courses Pair For Original Audio Courses". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  20. ^ a b 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.
  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. ^ a b Spangler, Todd (2021-04-27). "The Teaching Co. Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded 'Wondrium' Service". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  24. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "ATA Partners with Wondrium to launch Wondrium Journeys". Academic Travel Abroad. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  28. ^ a b c "Congress '21 unveils nominees for Buzzies Awards". Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  29. ^ a b "The AIBs | Celebrating the world's best factual content". theaibs.tv. Retrieved 2023-04-06.

Bibliography edit

  • Mathews, Linda (1996-03-31). "Adult Education; No Tests and You Can Hit Rewind". New York Times.
  • Nordin, Kendra (2003-01-28). "From the college lecture hall to your headphones". Christian Science Monitor.
  • Sorkin, Andrew Ross (2014-09-05). "So Bill Gates Has This Idea for a History Class..." New York Times.

External links edit

  • Wondrium
  • The Great Courses

April 13, 2024
teaching, company, this, article, contains, content, that, written, like, advertisement, please, help, improve, removing, promotional, content, inappropriate, external, links, adding, encyclopedic, content, written, from, neutral, point, view, october, 2023, l. This article contains content that is written like an advertisement Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view October 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 and 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 as distribution through third party platforms like the Apple TV app Audible Amazon Prime and Roku 2 WondriumCompany typePrivateIndustryEducationFounded1990 34 years ago 1990 FoundersThomas M RollinsHeadquartersChantilly Virginia United StatesProductsThe Great CoursesWondriumOwnerBrentwood Associates 2006 present Websitethegreatcourses com wondrium comSome of the course materials produced by The Teaching Company Courses available through WondriumA former company logo Wondrium founded by Tom Rollins in 1990 is currently owned by Brentwood Associates PE and is headquartered in Chantilly Virginia Contents 1 History 2 Content 2 1 Professors amp experts 2 2 Audio only titles available through Audible 3 Distribution 3 1 Wondrium 3 2 The Great Courses Signature Collection 3 3 Audible 3 4 Great Courses TheGreatCourses com 3 5 True History 3 6 Wondrium Journeys 4 Awards 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksHistory editIn 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 that 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 Following the acquisition over 6 000 hours of content were digitized and the number of courses circulated rose from 20 million to 70 million 5 6 Sales increased more than 35 the first year and then continued to grow at a double digit pace 6 The company added indirect distribution channels such as Netflix and Audible to their business model in 2013 5 The company introduced its online subscription service in 2015 called The Great Courses Plus which gave consumers 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 third party platforms like Comcast Apple TV and Roku Channels 8 2 9 In 2016 the firm earned 150 million in annual 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 sourced 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 documentaries 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 editWondrium 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 educationally focused focuses on learning experiences outside of the influence of traditional university curriculum and takes other forms of content 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 President and CEO of Wondrium Paul Suijk described the company as the Netflix of learning 5 14 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 15 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 16 Professors amp experts edit Most programs are delivered by experts in their respective field 17 The lectures often involve computer graphics and animations some offer an optional PDF guidebook to serve as a custom made textbook for the course 17 Audio only titles available through Audible edit 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 18 19 The Life and Times of Beethoven Falling in Love with Romance Movies Raising Curious KidsDistribution editWondrium distributes and monetizes their content in a number of ways including through direct to consumer models and partnerships with third party distributors Wondrium edit 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 20 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 20 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 edit 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 of Wondrium and The Great Courses produces and releases it 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 As of 2024 courses are offered both through a subscription to The Great Courses library and for individual purchase Audible edit 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 19 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 19 Great Courses TheGreatCourses com edit 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 edit 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 24 Wondrium Journeys edit Wondrium Journeys are immersive vacations designed to bring the company s vast collection of travel courses videos documentaries and series to life 27 The first vacation was a 9 day 8 night trip inspired by the company s course Exploring the Mayan World These vacations typically take place in Europe 27 Awards editRegional Emmy AwardGoing to the Devil The Impeachment of 1868 Nominee 2020 13 Buzzies Award Mind Blowing Science Season 1 Nominee 2021 Science Long form 28 John Lewis Witness to History Nominee 2021 History Short format 28 Black Inventors Hair Care and Madame C J Walker Winner Best History Program Content one off or series short short format 29 Webby Award John Lewis Witness to History Winner 2021 People s Choice Documentary in History 28 AIBs Award Solving for Zero Winner 2022 Science and Technology TV Video 29 References edit Spangler Todd 2021 04 27 The Teaching Co Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded Wondrium Service Variety Retrieved 2022 12 23 a b 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 a b c MacDonald Heather 2011 06 21 Great Courses Great Profits City Journal New York 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 a b c d e f g h i j 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 a b c Max Sarah 2013 07 29 If Its Customers Love a Business This Equity Firm Does Too The New York Times a b c Martell Nevin 2015 09 03 Before YouTube and online classes there were the Great Courses Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 2023 02 09 a b c d Snider Mike Cutting the Cord Hit the books with The Great Courses on Amazon Prime USA TODAY Retrieved 2023 02 16 a b YouTube TV See All Channels YouTube TV Watch amp DVR Live Sports Shows amp News Retrieved 2023 02 16 a b Duffy Hill 2022 01 13 Wondrium Review PCMAG Retrieved 2023 02 09 a b c d e f g h Spangler Todd 2021 04 27 The Teaching Co Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded Wondrium Service Variety Retrieved 2023 02 09 a b c d Hepburn Tmera 2021 06 09 Educational Streaming Platform The Great Courses Plus Rebrands as Wondrium Cord Cutters News Retrieved 2023 02 10 a b c d e f Maher John 2020 11 06 The Great Courses Great 30th Year Publishers Weekly Retrieved 2023 02 20 Suijk Pail Paul Suijk President amp CEO at Wondrium Linkedin Retrieved February 8 2024 Johnson Dave Get smarter without leaving home Here s a free month of The Great Courses Plus CNET Retrieved 2023 02 24 The 4 Learning Hacks Bill Gates Swears By Time 2018 01 04 Retrieved 2023 02 24 a b Johnson Dave Get smarter without leaving home Here s a free month of The Great Courses Plus CNET Retrieved 2023 03 16 The top 10 audiobooks on Audible com WTOP News 2022 08 09 Retrieved 2023 03 10 a b c Rowe Adam Audible And The Great Courses Pair For Original Audio Courses Forbes Retrieved 2023 03 10 a b 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 The Great Courses Signature Collection Now Available Through Apple TV Channels MacRumors 4 June 2021 Retrieved 2023 02 16 Audible The Great Courses a b Spangler Todd 2021 04 27 The Teaching Co Wants Bigger Bite of Streaming With Rebranded Wondrium Service Variety Retrieved 2023 03 04 a b GetNews FreeCast s SelectTV Adds True History from Wondrium Digital Journal Retrieved 2023 03 28 True History Channel retrieved 2023 03 28 Barnes Jess 2021 11 16 The Roku Channel Adds 15 New Channels to Its Free Lineup Cord Cutters News Retrieved 2023 03 28 a b ATA Partners with Wondrium to launch Wondrium Journeys Academic Travel Abroad 2021 09 02 Retrieved 2023 04 07 a b c Congress 21 unveils nominees for Buzzies Awards Retrieved 2023 03 29 a b The AIBs Celebrating the world s best factual content theaibs tv Retrieved 2023 04 06 Bibliography editMathews Linda 1996 03 31 Adult Education No Tests and You Can Hit Rewind New York Times Nordin Kendra 2003 01 28 From the college lecture hall to your headphones Christian Science Monitor Sorkin Andrew Ross 2014 09 05 So Bill Gates Has This Idea for a History Class New York Times External links editWondrium The Great Courses Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Teaching Company amp oldid 1213270011, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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