According to podtrac, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally is iHeartMedia. Today iHeartMedia announced it has entered a multi-year agreement with Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Studios. The agreement is to co-produce eight original podcast together.
“We are thrilled to partner with Sports Illustrated to introduce a brand-new slate of sports podcasts – limited series and ongoing shows alike, distributed to listeners everywhere,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group in a press release. “It’s an iconic brand that sports fans instantly trust, knowing that they will get the most credible and in-depth industry coverage, and we look forward to expanding that footprint into the audio space through the iHeartPodcast Network, where we uniquely have the reach and scale to bring Sports Illustrated the audience and monetization they deserve.”
The iHeartPodcast Network will be responsible for all of the original titles and will distribute Sports Illustrated’s existing podcasts across iHeartRadio. Furthermore, two of the eight podcasts are set to launch in 2022.
Sports Illustrated, which has a world-renowned journalist and a legacy of sharing the stories of athletes, teams, and fans, will be built upon with this new audio partnership. In addition, later this year “Sports Illustrated Weekly” will debut. This weekly podcast is going to feature the best of Sports Illustrate’s journalism via an audio magazine. each of those episodes will be 45 minutes.
“Storytelling is at the core of what SI stands for, and the opportunity to partner with iHeart to create and distribute dynamic stories and shows featuring our incredible voices further expands our footprint,” shared Ross Levinsohn, CEO of Sports Illustrated & Maven in a press release.
The iheartPodcast Network is home to over 750 original podcasts which now will distribute the Sports Illustrated podcast. iHeartRadio is the largest publisher of podcast content in the entire world.
