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Netflix and iHeartMedia announce video podcast deal

Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times on

Published in Entertainment News

LOS ANGELES — Netflix and iHeartMedia announced Tuesday they have an exclusive video partnership deal to bring more than 15 original podcasts, including "The Breakfast Club," true crime podcast "My Favorite Murder" and Chelsea Handler's "Dear Chelsea" to the subscription streaming service.

The multiyear deal, which launches in early 2026, includes new episodes from the podcasts and some library episodes. The video podcasts will first roll out on Netflix in the U.S. and later to other markets. Netflix and iHeart declined to disclose the financial terms of the deal.

The announcement comes as Netflix is adding more video podcasts to its lineup to diversify the content on its streaming service and better compete with YouTube. Some of the iHeart podcasts involved in the deal, including "My Favorite Murder," have posted videos of their podcasts on Google's video platform prior to the deal's announcement.

"With this partnership we are incredibly excited to offer our members such unmatched variety, and to deliver highly entertaining podcasts featuring some of the world's most dynamic personalities," said Lauren Smith, Netflix's vice president of content licensing and programming strategy in a statement.

In October, Netflix announced next year it would stream 16 Spotify video podcasts, including sports programs like "The Bill Simmons Podcast" and "The Ringer Fantasy Football Show."

 

Video podcasts have become more popular among audio listeners. Roughly 70% of podcast listeners prefer their shows with video, according to a Cumulus Media study. Some of the programs also have huge followings — for example, "My Favorite Murder," with hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, has generated about 2 billion lifetime downloads according to iHeart and Netflix in a news release.

Other video podcasts coming to Netflix include comedy podcast "This Is Important," mental health podcast "The Psychology of your 20s" and history podcast "Behind the Bastards."

iHeart will keep its audio-only rights and distribution as part of the deal, with its podcasts continuing to be on iHeartRadio and "everywhere podcasts are heard," the companies said.

"Netflix has a leading video-first service, and this partnership perfectly complements our strong audio foundation," said Bob Pittman, iHeartMedia chief executive, in a statement. "Working with Netflix — an important leader in entertainment — gives fans one more way to connect with the personalities they love and opens the door to new audiences, including viewers discovering these shows for the first time."


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