iHeartMedia Acquires Stuff Media’s Stuff
• iHeartMedia announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks (HSW) podcasting business as well as a slate of premium podcast content. Today, Stuff Media is one of the nation’s largest podcast publishers, with more than 61 million global downloads and streams per month. Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc., said, “This strategic acquisition will pair Stuff Media’s wildly popular content and strong creative capabilities with iHeartMedia’s extensive resources and massive scale through our digital platforms, social reach and broadcast radio stations, introducing podcasts to the vast majority of the country and offering even more unique opportunities for advertisers to reach their consumers.”
As part of the agreement, Stuff Media President & CEO Conal Byrne will join iHeartMedia as head of its podcast division. Stuff Media’s podcasts will maintain their branding and remain headquartered in Atlanta, with Byrne continuing as President & CEO of that studio as well. Byrne will report to Darren Davis, President of the iHeartMedia Networks Group and iHeartRadio. Chris Peterson has been promoted to EVP of iHeartMedia’s Podcasting division and will oversee the full slate of iHeartRadio Original podcasts, as well as manage the affiliate relationships for the company, and will report to Byrne, who said, “Combining our assets with the No. 1 audio and media company and No. 1 commercial podcast publisher gives us the unassailable position in the podcasting business and a platform like no one else. No company in the world has iHeart’s audience size and innovative drive, and coupled with the creative engine of Stuff Media, this is a game-changer for podcast storytellers and advertisers alike, and I’m honored to be leading this effort.”
Davis (left) remarked, “In the past year alone, iHeartMedia’s podcasting has exploded. Our robust slate of originals spans a wide range of topics, and we’re continuing to forge partnerships to bring the most compelling series to the iHeartRadio Podcast Network. In addition, our unique iHeartRadio podcasts from our influencers such as Bobby Bones, Elvis Duran, The Breakfast Club and others, have created a whole new category. By acquiring Stuff Media, we’ll not only integrate its slate of original content, but more importantly, we’ll gain the most innovative minds in the podcasting industry to turbocharge our efforts.”
Stuff Media’s “Stuff” franchises have attracted a dedicated following for more than a decade, with signature podcast Stuff You Should Knowsurpassing 500 million downloads this year — the first podcast to surpass half a billion downloads. Atlanta Monster, a Stuff Media/Tenderfoot TV original true crime podcast that recently partnered with iHeartMedia, became the biggest hit podcast of 2018, and maintained the #1 spot on the podcast ranking charts for four straight weeks. Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, TechStuffand BrainStuffpodcasts have all reached ten years of podcasting and over 1,000 published episodes milestones. The transaction is subject to bankruptcy court approval.
