The company behind the hit true-crime podcast “Serial” is exploring a sale, according to a person familiar with the matter, putting one of digital audio’s biggest brands on the market as the medium becomes increasingly popular.

Serial Productions is best known for producing “Serial,” a podcast that tells a new multipart series every season. Its first season garnered more than 300 million downloads.

Among the potential buyers for Serial Productions is New York Times Co., the person said. A deal could accelerate the growth of the Times’s audio division. The revenue and potential valuation of Serial Productions wasn’t clear, but any transaction would likely be small for the Times or another major media company.

Representatives of Serial Productions didn’t respond to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the New York Times declined to comment.

Several media companies have looked to bulk up on podcasting as it has exploded in popularity. Audiostreaming giant Spotify Technology SA last year purchased narrative-audio company Gimlet Media for more than $200 million and is in early talks to buy sports and pop-culture company The Ringer, which produces more than 30 podcasts, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. Radio giant iHeartMedia Inc. purchased Stuff Media for about $55 million in 2018.