IHeartMedia Announces A Multi-Year Exclusive Agreement to Co-Produce Eight Original Podcasts
July 26, 2021 at 09:00 am EDT
Share
iHeartMedia announced a multi-year exclusive agreement to co-produce eight original podcasts with sports media brand Sports Illustrated and newly formed joint venture Sports Illustrated Studios. The iHeartPodcast Network will distribute all eight original titles as well as distribute Sports Illustrated’s existing podcasts across iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. Additionally, mutual marketing and promotion commitments will apply to all joint projects. Two of the eight original podcasts are scheduled to launch by first quarter of 2022. The audio partnership will build upon Sports Illustrated’s deep bench of world-renowned journalists and continue its legacy of unique storytelling that unites athletes, teams and fans worldwide. The Sports Illustrated label will include editorial-focused content and analysis from the storied media franchise while the Sports Illustrated Studios label will provide scripted and limited series content. Set to debut later this year, “Sports Illustrated Weekly” is a weekly podcast that will feature the best of Sports Illustrated’s unrivaled journalism in a premium audio magazine. Each 45-minute episode will feature deep-dive segments on the biggest news of the week and the most compelling personalities, trends and themes in sports, on and off the field. More details including its host will be announced at a later date. The Sports Illustrated podcast slate will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network which is home to more than 750 original podcasts with over 250 million downloads each month. iHeartRadio Original Podcasts span every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, family, comedy and true crime – and everything in between – making iHeartRadio the largest publisher of podcast content in the world. These shows are distributed on all major podcast platforms including the iHeartRadio app, which additionally distributes hundreds of thousands third-party shows.
iHeartMedia, Inc. is an audio company. The Company operates through three segments: Multiplatform Group, Digital Audio Group, and Audio & Media Services Group. The Multiplatform Group segment includes the Company's broadcast radio, networks, sponsorships, and events businesses. The Digital Audio Group segment includes all of the Company's digital businesses, including podcasting, the iHeartRadio digital service, its digital advertising technology companies, its digital Websites, newsletters and digital services and programs; and its audio industry social media footprint. The Audio & Media Services Group segment provides other audio and media services, including the Company's media representation business, Katz Media Group, and RCS Sound Software, a provider of scheduling and broadcast software to the industry at large. Its iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 250 platforms and thousands of devices, the Companyâs digital sites, newsletters, and others.