ViacomCBS Inks Huge iHeart Podcast Deal
• On the heels of the Charlamagne announcement, the news got even better for iHeartMedia’s podcasting business, as ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Group announced a three-year pact with iHeartMedia to create dozens of original podcasts, both new and those that leverage iconic IP and extend powerhouse franchises from the biggest and most beloved brands.
The breadth of the portfolio draws upon material from MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV, CMT, VH1, TV Land and Logo. The initial slate includes Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah expanding its library of content by producing additional, original podcasts from the Correspondents and more, along with MTV’s iconic Yo! MTV Raps, the seminal music and interview series that introduced hip hop to a general audience. They join two others from Comedy Central — The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Ears Edition, which launched in 2018 and features episode highlights and extended interviews, and The Daily Show: Podcast Universe, an original, five-episode mini-series where each episode parodies a popular podcast or podcast genre.
“We are excited to partner with iHeartMedia, the leading global commercial podcast publisher to expand our hit shows and IP into hit franchises,” said Keyes Hill-Edgar, COO, Entertainment & Youth Group, ViacomCBS. “iHeart’s wide distribution and availability across a number of leading platforms align well with our global reach and audiences.”
Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network, remarked, “These are some of the most iconic brands in the world. First and foremost — as fans of these brands — we wanted to see them have a really strong presence in podcasting. So our plan is simple: We will swing all of our resources behind these incredible brands — with support from our production teams, our huge distribution and marketing muscle, and the biggest and best audio sales team in the country — to make sure they get the audience they deserve in this incredible new medium.”
All of the audio series will be distributed through the iHeartPodcast Network and available on iHeartRadio and wherever fans find their favorite podcasts.
