Global, the UK’s largest radio and outdoor media company, has signed an exclusive platform distribution and ad sales deal with iHeartMedia, the No. 1 audio company in the United States.
Under the exclusive deal, Global and iHeartMedia will license, distribute and represent each other’s chart-topping podcast portfolios.
In the UK iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, will be available on Global Player and via DAX, Global’s market-leading digital advertising exchange. iHeartPodcasts adds millions of downloads to Global Player and the DAX network.
iHeartPodcasts publishes more than 800 podcasts across a wide variety of genres, that span every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, family, comedy and true crime – and everything in between including ‘On Purpose with Jay Shetty,’ the hit health and wellness podcast from the British former-monk-turned-author and motivational speaker, which explores topics related to mindfulness and mental health with high-profile guests including Drew Barrymore, Trevor Noah, and Selena Gomez.
Additional iHeartPodcasts include ‘The Girlfriends’ the story of a group of women who came together to bring a murderous ex-boyfriend to justice, ‘Fake Doctors, Real Friends’ with Scrubs alumni Zach Braff and Donald Faison, ‘The Ron Burgundy Podcast’ with comedian Will Ferrell reprising his most iconic role from the Anchorman film series, ‘Revisionist History’ where Malcolm Gladwell brings his unique perspective and insights to topics far and wide, and podcast “royalty” ‘Stuff You Should Know,’ now in its 15th year and with more than 1,500 episodes.
In the US, Global’s high-profile podcasts will be available on the iHeartRadio App and will be monetized by iHeartMedia’s industry leading audio sales force.
Global’s owned and original podcasts includes chart-topping titles such as daily news podcast ‘The News Agents’ and ‘The News Agents USA’, the award-winning ‘My Therapist Ghosted Me’ with Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally, ‘Filthy Ritual’ from the true crime hit duo Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, and a brand-new daily podcast with leading broadcaster Shaun Keaveny, ‘Shaun Keaveny’s Daily Grind’.
Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia’s Digital Audio Group, said: “Podcasting has exploded as the newest mass-reach medium in the US, with more than 120 million Americans a month now listening – and now the opportunity for global growth is huge. As more international listeners engage with hit iHeartPodcasts every month, this is a great opportunity to work with the best-in-class Global and using DAX monetization teams, to find new audiences and advertisers for the best and largest podcast portfolio in the world.”
Mike Gordon, Global’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “I’m delighted that iHeartMedia is partnering with Global to bring each other’s incredible slate of award-winning podcasts to advertisers in the UK & Ireland, and the US. Combining the reach of our platforms and networks, and featuring talent like Jay Shetty and Brett Goldstein, and The News Agents’ Emily, Jon and Lewis, at a time when podcasts are experiencing rapid growth, will see us reaching more audiences than ever before.”
With millions of monthly active users, Global Player is now one of the UK’s largest entertainment platforms.
DAX is the largest digital advertising platform in the UK and one of the largest in the world. It connects advertisers to over 130 million listeners by inserting targeted advertising into their favourite radio, music and podcasts across the UK, Europe, the USA and Canada.
