Alissa Pollack To Lead New iHeartMedia Global Music Marketing Efforts

Alissa Pollack To Lead New iHeartMedia Global Music Marketing Efforts

New Initiative Will Maximize Comprehensive Music and Consumer Insights to Connect Brands, Artists and Labels

February 1, 2016 – New York, NY – iHeartMedia, the media and entertainment company with the largest reach of any radio or TV outlet in America, announced today that Alissa Pollack was named Executive Vice President of Global Music Marketing, a new initiative that will focus on leveraging iHeartMedia’s extensive pool of listener data and deep music and consumer insights to benefit advertising partners, brands and artists and deliver even more value on air, online, on mobile, social and through live events.

In this new role, Pollack will consult with brands and artists and provide them with a broad spectrum of music data, including a steady stream of rich listening trend reports and custom insights that will better inform their decision-making on everything from advertising content and social programs to events and artists partnerships, increasing the efficacy of advertising campaigns and fan engagement. In addition, Pollack will collaborate with Premiere Networks, the iHeartRadio Digital team and the iHeartMedia National Programming Group to coordinate and maximize programs across all iHeartMedia platforms, including Premiere Network’s more than 5,000 affiliates and internationally through iHeartRadio’s international broadcast partnerships.

“Our goal is to use iHeartMedia’s exclusive data insights, especially the extensive data we have available on listener behavior, to connect brands to artists in mutually beneficial ways,” said Pollack.  “By using our data and knowledge and leveraging our relationships, we can create successful long-term partnerships that reward brands and artists, while delivering the best content for the fans.”

“No other company has the combination of extensive listener data and artist relationships that we do," said Darren Davis, President of iHeartMedia Networks, who will oversee these new capabilities. “This new Global Music Marketing effort will make it much easier for advertisers and artists to access this vast data and information to make better marketing decisions, faster.”
 
As a music industry and artist relations veteran, Pollack began her career at Z100, New York’s #1 hit music station producing the nationally-syndicated show “Love Phones.”  Soon after, she joined Premiere Networks as Regional Marketing Director and quickly ascended through the ranks.  Pollack eventually became the Executive Vice President of Integrated Media Marketing for Mediabase Worldwide, overseeing Mediabase’s domestic and international music ventures as well as those for Rate the Music and M-Score. She developed new business strategies and partnerships with major record labels, broadcast groups and other research data providers. Most recently she served as the Executive Vice President of Music Partner Integrations for Premiere Networks where she oversaw Mediabase sales and special programming projects.   Pollack serves on the Board of MusiCares, Musicians on Call and the Executive Board of the Music and Entertainment Committee for City of Hope.  She also created and chairs the Taste of Hope, which has become one of the best attended music industry events.

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80 Million Registered Users

iHeartRadio Surpasses 80 Million Registered Users

NEW YORK -- January 21, 2016 -- iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital music and live streaming radio service, today announced it has surpassed 80 million registered users. iHeartRadio continues to reach user milestones at a rate faster than Facebook or any other radio or digital music service, having reached 70 million registered users just last summer. The number of registered users do not account for the millions of listeners who tune in to iHeartRadio’s live radio stations, which does not require registration -- meaning that iHeartRadio’s reach is even greater. iHeartRadio has also been downloaded more than 850 million times, has 80 million social media followers and is now available on more than 80 unique device platforms spanning in-home entertainment, wearables, gaming, mobile and auto.

Originally launched in 2011, iHeartRadio is a free all-in-one service that offers listeners instant access to thousands of live radio stations from across the country, custom stations from a catalog of more than 24 million songs and 830,000 artists, on-demand podcasts and its newest feature "My Favorites Radio" which combines all of a listener's favorite artists and thumbed up songs in one station just for them. In addition, last fall iHeartMedia introduced iHeartRadio Family, iHeartRadio's first multi-app brand extension: a standalone app designed specifically for families with kids ages 4-11. 

“In just five years, we’ve seen continued powerful growth in our registered user base - a testament to the power of radio and listening,” said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio. “Our listeners have many new ways to enjoy our stations and programming, and we want to continue to deepen their listening experience and ensure we’re available everywhere they expect us to be."

This milestone announcement marks the latest news during what has been a strong beginning to the year for iHeartRadio. Earlier this month at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, iHeartRadio announced integrations on seven new platforms, including AppleTV, offering listeners the opportunity to now enjoy iHeartRadio on platforms spanning in-home entertainment, gaming, mobile and auto. In addition, iHeartRadio also announced the launch of iHeartRadio in Canada and a partnership with Universal Music Group that will bring virtual reality experiences to many iHeartRadio events. To see all available platforms and to download the app, visit iHeartRadio.com/apps.

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iHeartMedia Announces The Return Of Its Annual Mega Events The iHeartRadio Music Festival And Its Daytime Village, On September 23 And 24

iHeartMedia Announces The Return Of Its Annual Mega Events The iHeartRadio Music Festival And Its Daytime Village, On September 23 And 24

The Daytime Village at the iHeartRadio Music Festival Reveals Sam Hunt and Alessia Cara as First-Announced Artists in the Lineup

Annual "Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star" Talent Search Returns

New York, N.Y. – January 15, 2016 – iHeartMedia announced today the return of the annual star-studded iHeartRadio Music Festival on September 23 and 24 in Las Vegas, and its Daytime Village which will return to the Las Vegas Village across from the Luxor Hotel and Casino on Saturday, September 24.  The company also announced the return of the "Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star" talent search.

The 2016 Daytime Village will feature live performances by both popular and emerging artists, including the first revealed artists Sam Hunt and Alessia Cara, with more to be announced. The Daytime Village will also feature fan zones and interactive experiences by iHeartRadio's brand partners.  Tickets for the Daytime Village go on sale today at 10 a.m. PT and start at $39 plus taxes and fees. Fans can visit iHeartRadio.com/village for more information or to purchase tickets. 

The "Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star" talent search will also return for the fifth year in a row providing emerging artists the chance to perform on the same stage as music's biggest superstars at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival and select Macy's events this fall.

Starting in early May, iHeartRadio listeners and Macy's shoppers will once again have their chance to cast their votes for their favorite up-and-coming artists, and by voting, fans will also be entered for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas for the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival.  Fans will also hear the top five finalists' music on iHeartRadio via Macy's exclusive mstyleradio, the retailer's own radio station which also broadcasts live in-store at Macy's mstylelab Junior's and Young Men's departments nationwide.  mstyleradio is a destination where fans can discover new music, enjoy their favorite hits and connect to the latest in fashion and pop culture.

The winner of the "Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star" will take the stage as the opening act of the epic two-night event.  Last year's star-studded festival featured superstars Kanye West, Sam Smith, Coldplay, Puff Daddy, Demi Lovato, David Guetta, Kenny Chesney, The Weeknd, Tove Lo, Lil Wayne, Fall Out Boy, Disclosure, Hozier, Jason Derulo, Duran Duran, Prince Royce, Diplo, Trey Songz, The Killers, Jennifer Lopez, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas and more. This year's iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup and ticket information will be announced later this summer and more details on the Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star talent search will be available soon at iHeartRadio.com/macys.  

"The 'Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star' contest continues to be a major highlight at the festival and a great way to expose up-and-coming talent in a big way," said Jeff Howard, President of National Sales, iHeartMedia.  "This partnership is extremely unique and together with Macy's we have the ability to provide these emerging artists with national exposure and also continue to support music discovery with our audiences."

The iHeartRadio Music Festival will broadcast live on iHeartMedia Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) stations across the country that weekend including the iconic Z100 in New York; KIIS-FM in Los Angeles; Y100 in Miami; KISS FM in Dallas, Chicago and Boston; as well as many more, and will also be featured as an exclusive national television broadcast special on The CW Network at a later date.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival and Daytime Village are where the music and artists of the iHeartRadio app come to life, and are an iHeartMedia Production. Proud partners of this year's event include Ideal Image®, Macy's, MasterCard®, MATADOR® BEEF JERKY, Mazda®, State Farm®, Taco Bell®, The CW Network, TWIX® Brand, Ulta Beauty, UnitedHealthcare, X Out, from the makers of Proactiv® and more to be announced. For more information visit iHeartRadio.com/festival. The iHeartRadio Music Festival is co-produced by John Sykes, President of iHeartMedia Entertainment Enterprises and Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Group for iHeartMedia.

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STRATA Announces Integration of iHeartMedia Into Its Systems, Giving Over One Thousand Agencies Access to iHeartMedia's Digital Audio Inventory

STRATA Announces Integration of iHeartMedia Into Its Systems, Giving Over One Thousand Agencies Access to iHeartMedia's Digital Audio Inventory

CHICAGO -- Jan. 14, 2016 -- STRATA, the leader in media buying and selling software, announced today that iHeartMedia's vast digital audio inventory is now available to ad buyers through STRATA's systems. This will give over 1,000 advertising agencies the ability to access iHeartMedia's digital inventory using STRATA's media buying system.

Through a customized solution built for iHeartMedia inventory, STRATA provides access to iHeartMedia's digital platform, which is available via desktop, mobile, in-car digital dashboards, tablets, gaming consoles and home entertainment systems. Ad buyers and agencies can easily view iHeartMedia's digital audio inventory in STRATA's systems, including data on local markets, audience, and ratings.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with iHeartMedia. Integrating their inventory into our systems is welcomed by our over 1,000 STRATA agencies, all of whom will now have access to the wide range of digital audio advertising opportunities that iHeartMedia offers," said Judd Rubin, Vice President of STRATA. "The ability to target digital audio buys to specific audiences and markets, and to do so efficiently, is critical functionality for ad buyers who are working in an increasingly complex ad marketplace."

"We're pleased to collaborate with STRATA to make our digital inventory available within its systems, giving its over one thousand advertising agencies the ability to effectively and efficiently reach our audiences through our extensive digital platform and assets," said Radha Subramanyam, iHeartMedia's President of Research and Insights.

About STRATA
STRATA is the only system provider that connects both media buyers and sellers. The custom solutions supplied by STRATA empower clients to sell and efficiently purchase all media types including cable, broadcast, newspaper, radio, outdoor and digital advertising mediums.  On average, over $50 Billion in advertising dollars flow through STRATA systems per year.

As the system of choice for over 1,000 agencies nationally, STRATA provides media technology that enables organizations to lead rather than react to industry developments.  By transforming the way advertisements are placed and tracked, STRATA adds a new level of transparency to campaigns that is necessary in the ever-evolving media world.

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iHeartMedia Promotes Four Senior Executives To Newly Created Roles As Division Presidents

iHeartMedia Promotes Four Senior Executives To Newly Created Roles As Division Presidents

36 New Region Presidents, Leaders Drawn From Within iHeartMedia, Will Manage Decision-Making and Company Resources Closer To Markets

New York, NY – January 13, 2016 – iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, announced today that four of its senior executives have been promoted into newly created roles as Division Presidents.  These executives – Hartley Adkins, Greg Ashlock, Matt Martin and Tom McConnell – were formerly iHeartMedia Executive Vice Presidents of Operations. 

These promotions also reflect a new operating structure for iHeartMedia’s markets.  The company, formerly organized into ‘Major’ and ‘Regional’ Market groups, will now be comprised of four geographic Divisions, each led by a new Division President.  The Divisions are strategically organized into 36 Regions that will address the needs of both listeners and advertisers based on geography and will be led by Region Presidents drawn from within the company’s seasoned leadership team. 

This new structure will push both decision-making and resources closer to the markets, with every market now better aligned to deliver more focused resources closer to their listeners and advertisers.  This will drive better results for partners, advertisers and communities, and ensure that iHeartMedia will be able to react to the changing media landscape on both the local and national level more nimbly than ever before.

In addition to overseeing their Divisions, these four Division Presidents will also take on other responsibilities:

Hartley Adkins, President of the Northeast Division and Corporate Operations will also oversee multi-cultural and strategic initiatives and communication for the Regions, working closely with Corporate teams;
Greg Ashlock, President of the West Division, will also serve as the senior business leader representing the company in the Western U.S. across all divisions;
Matt Martin, President of the Central Division, will also continue to oversee the company’s Sales Operations Center as well as direct and develop the company’s internal training programs; and
Tom McConnell, President of the Midwest/Southeast Division, will also continue to work with the Regions on operational needs.
“The new structure under the leadership of Hartley, Greg, Matt and Tom adds nimbleness and new resources for our markets and stations,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc.  “We are taking advantage of our size and unparalleled assets to empower our people and our markets by giving them better access to all our cutting-edge resources, from digital to data, our programmatic automated ad buying system, research and technology and more, letting them take advantage of the big investments we’ve made and use them to benefit their listeners and advertising partners in their region.”

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iHeartMedia Announces The Return Of The iHeartCountry Festival, Bringing Together Country Music’s Biggest Superstars For The Third Straight Year

iHeartMedia Announces The Return Of The iHeartCountry Festival, Bringing Together Country Music’s Biggest Superstars For The Third Straight Year

Florida Georgia Line, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Miranda Lambert, Lee Brice, Chris Young, Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band, and More Lead Star-Studded Lineup in Austin, Texas

New York, NY – January 11, 2016 – iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, announced today the return of the iHeartCountry Festival on Saturday, April 30. For the third straight year, Country music's biggest superstars will perform at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas in a live celebration of all things country.
 
The Country music of the iHeartRadio app will come to life with an extraordinary lineup including Florida Georgia Line, Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Miranda Lambert, Lee Brice, Chris Young, Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band, with more to be announced.
 
“This year’s incredible roster of artists is unquestionably a Country Music Dream Team,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises, iHeartMedia. “These performers are all living testaments to why Country is one of music’s most popular genres and we have them all one night, on one stage.”
 
iHeartCountry has more than 140 Country broadcast radio stations across the U.S. reaching more than 98 million Country music listeners per month, making it the largest Country broadcast radio group in America. The iHeartCountry Festival is part of iHeartMedia’s roster of incredibly successful, nationally recognized concert events, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party, the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour, the iHeartRadio Music Awards, the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina and the recently announced iHeart80s Party.
 
“We created our first Country festival with the goal of giving iHeartMedia’s millions of Country listeners an extraordinary night of music,” said Tom Poleman, President of the iHeartMedia National Programming Group. “In just three short years, it has quickly established itself as one of Country music’s biggest nights. The iHeartCountry brand is extremely important to iHeartMedia and we couldn’t be more excited about its growth and success.  This year’s show promises to be an event that can’t be missed.”
 
Tickets go on sale to the general public on January 15 at 10 a.m. CT via TexasBoxOffice.com.  iHeartMedia’s Country music radio stations will broadcast the event live in their local markets and at iHeartRadio.com. Streaming details will be announced soon.
 
The iHeartCountry Festival is an iHeartMedia Production. Proud partners of this year's event include State Farm® and Tito's Handmade Vodka and more to be announced. For more information visit iHeartRadio.com/countryfestival.

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Kelly Kibler Becomes Executive Vice President Of Multi-Cultural Marketing For iHeartMedia Markets Group

Kelly Kibler Becomes Executive Vice President Of Multi-Cultural Marketing For iHeartMedia Markets Group

Kibler’s New Role Reflects Company’s Expanded Strategy to Reach and Activate America’s Growing Multi-Cultural Audiences At The Market Level

New York, NY – January 7, 2016 – iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, announced today that Kelly Kibler, previously Executive Vice President of Operations for the company’s Texas Major Markets, has taken on a new role as Executive Vice President of Multi-Cultural Marketing for the iHeartMedia Markets Group.

In this new position, Kibler will work with groups across the company to leverage iHeartMedia’s unparalleled reach and unmatched ability to target and communicate to its culturally diverse audience. She will work closely with Liz Blacker, EVP of Multi-Cultural Strategy and Sales for iHeartMedia’s National Sales, Marketing and Partnerships group, to coordinate and execute multi-cultural advertising opportunities at the market level, and work with iHeartMedia’s National Programming Group to develop custom programs utilizing the company’s on-air talent for the benefit of marketers and advertising partners at the market level.  Kibler will report to Hartley Adkins, Executive Vice President of Operations for Major Markets.

Kibler’s new focus will enable iHeartMedia’s markets to capitalize on the resources and tools that set iHeartMedia apart as a one-of-a-kind company.  This position is another example of iHeartMedia’s continued transformation into a 21st century media company – one that is evolving rapidly to reflect listeners’ and advertisers’ changing needs. 

The bilingual Kibler has over 20 years experience in the broadcast industry, beginning her career in 1991 at Telemundo. She has had great success as a market leader, and in her most recent role as Executive Vice President of Operations for the Texas Major Markets she led a number of key initiatives across iHeartMedia.  In addition, Kibler has led a number of iHeartMedia markets, serving as Market President in Las Vegas, San Diego and Dallas before her tenure as Executive Vice President of Operations.

During the transition to her new role Kibler will continue to oversee the Texas Major Markets.

“Kelly has been a constant innovator in this company and is the perfect choice to head up our focused multi-cultural advertising efforts at the market level,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc.  “Her success as Executive Vice President of Operations, as well as in her role as a sales leader and Market President – and her leadership of numerous iHeartMedia initiatives -- have enabled her to grow her career here with us, and we look forward to her using all of her experience and relationships to build this new capability for our company.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to take on this new position at iHeartMedia, using the tools and experience we’ve developed in Texas and applying them across our 158 markets in a space that continues to grow in both importance and footprint across America,” said Kibler.

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The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Rings Louder Than Ever With Billions Of Social Media Impressions

The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Rings Louder Than Ever With Billions Of Social Media Impressions
 
The 2015 Tour Generated Almost 11 Billion Social Interactions, a 67 Percent Increase from Last Year Surpassing the Academy Awards
 
New York – Jan. 7, 2015 – iHeartMedia today shared the latest social media engagement data from its annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2015 Tour Presented by Capital One, which took place in 11 cities across the United States between December 1 and 19. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour -- the season's biggest music event, which captures the music and holiday spirit of the iHeartRadio app with performances by this year’s biggest recording artists -- garnered almost 11 billion social media impressions. In fact, the 2015 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour increased 67 percent over last year, putting the record-breaking tour ahead of both the Big Game Halftime Show and the Academy Awards, and neck-and-neck with the Grammy Awards.
 
Each stop of the 2015 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour -- which included Dallas; San Francisco/Oakland; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Boston; New York; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Miami/Ft. Lauderdale; and Tampa -- continued to build buzz, with Z100's Jingle Ball in New York taking the crown for the most social interactions garnering more than 3.5 billion social media impressions. Overall, the social traction skewed mostly female (71 percent) as well as younger, with Generation Z and Millennials driving the bulk of the action as 85 percent of those taking to Twitter, Facebook and most were under the age of 34.
 
Other noteworthy statistics include:
- Pop ruled iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball Tour social shares; the Top 5 artists of the tour were: One Direction, Selena Gomez, 5 Seconds of Summer, Demi Lovato and The Weeknd.

- Many social media users chose to share their favorite hashtags while watching the show. On the night of Z100’s Jingle Ball in New York, #iheartradiojingleball trended worldwide, nationally and locally in over 30 cities in the US including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Cleveland, Columbus and Tampa. Other trending topics included #z100jingleball, #Y100jingleball, #kiss108jingleball and Sixth Harmony.
 
Additionally, the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2015 Tour made a splash with fans at home with an incredible 19 million music lovers watching and listening across the Yahoo stream, iHeartMedia’s radio stations and on the iHeartRadio app, and through the special broadcasts on The CW Network.
 
The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2015 Tour was presented by Capital One, additional proud partners of this year's national iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour event(s) include: Allstate Insurance Company, Macy's, The CW Network and Verizon. Multimarket partners include: Ulta Beauty®. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour was produced by Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Platforms for iHeartMedia, John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia and Darren Pfeffer, Senior Vice President of Music and Entertainment for iHeartMedia. 
 
iHeartRadio is the No. 1 ranked all-in-one streaming music and digital radio service with over 700 million downloads; it reached its first 20 million registered users faster than any digital service in Internet history and reached 70 million users faster than any other radio or digital music service and even faster than Facebook.

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Universal Music Group And iHeartMedia Announce Groundbreaking Virtual Reality Partnership To Develop Fully Immersive Music Entertainment Experiences

Universal Music Group And iHeartMedia Announce Groundbreaking Virtual Reality Partnership To Develop Fully Immersive Music Entertainment Experiences

Companies to Provide Music Fans With Unprecedented Ways to Experience Artists and Performances, and Help Artists Connect with Fans Through Cutting-Edge Technology
Brands Will Be Invited to Partner with UMG and iHeartMedia to Develop, Produce and Distribute One-Of-A-Kind Experiences To Fans Everywhere

Las Vegas, NV – January 6, 2016 – Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, and iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, announced a partnership focused around virtual reality (VR) that will enable the companies to connect artists, music fans and brands and sponsors in a series of revolutionary, fully immersive entertainment experiences. 

The announcement was made today at CES 2016 by Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of UMG, and Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia.

Together, the companies will leverage their respective strengths – including UMG’s deep music expertise, world-renowned roster of superstars and new artists and industry-leading music library, and iHeartMedia’s 245 million monthly broadcast listeners, nearly 90 million digital uniques, 80 million social followers, roster of nationally-recognized marquee events, and the consumer relationships its personalities have with listeners -- to drive innovation in both music and VR.  The companies will create entertainment experiences that leverage cutting-edge technology, making immersive VR performances and experiences accessible to U.S. audiences for the first time at scale.

In addition, UMG and iHeartMedia will invite brands to partner with them to develop, produce and distribute these one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences, using integrated approaches to connect their brands and products to both artists and consumers. 

Through this initiative, one VR experience by a UMG artist will be added to each major marquee iHeartMedia event in 2016, including the iHeartRadio Music Awards, the iHeartRadio Country Festival, the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party, the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, with this first-ever VR music series launching at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 3,  2016 which will broadcast live on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on TBS, TNT and truTV.   The companies will collaborate on full shows from four individual artists, shot and distributed in VR, at the iHeartRadio VR Concert Series held at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles.

“At UMG, we are focused on harnessing cutting-edge technology to pioneer new creative and commercial opportunities for artists, labels and fans,” said Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group.  “By combining iHeartMedia’s music events and hundreds of millions of listeners with the ability of our artists to forge powerfully emotional connections with their fans, we are ideally positioned to use VR technology to create authentic experiences that benefit our artists, consumers and marketing partners.”

“Our greatest strength at iHeartMedia is that we curate for our listeners – in this case, working with UMG to create a completely new entertainment experience using state-of-the-art VR technology,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc.  “And now, as advertisers seek to tie their brands and products to music and artists in innovative ways, we can use our industry-leading reach and best-of-breed music events to unlock the combined power of music and VR as a revolutionary marketing tool. We’re excited to work with UMG in a partnership unlike any in the music and entertainment industry.”

About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is the global music leader, with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry's premier music publishing operations worldwide.

Universal Music Group's labels include A&M Records, Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note Records, Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def JamRecordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, EMI Records Nashville, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Harvest, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music,Manhattan, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalogue is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division and Bravado, its merchandising company.

Universal Music Group is a fully owned subsidiary of Vivendi.

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Bell Media And iHeartMedia Sign Exclusive Partnership To Expand iHeartRadio Into Canada

Bell Media And iHeartMedia Sign Exclusive Partnership To Expand iHeartRadio Into Canada

Bell Media to expand iHeartRadio brand across Canada through digital platforms, live events, auto dashes, and more

New York and Toronto – January 6, 2016 - Bell Media, Canada’s leading media company, and iHeartMedia the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, today announced an exclusive new partnership that will bring the iHeartRadio brand to Canada in 2016. The iHeartRadio digital service in Canada will showcase content from Bell Media, Canada’s largest radio broadcaster with 106 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across the country.

Since its launch in 2011 at the inaugural iHeartRadio Music Festival, iHeartRadio has continued to be a leading digital service in the United States and has achieved 80 percent brand awareness in only a few short years. Upon launch, iHeartRadio in Canada will provide instant access to the live radio feature offering listeners throughout Canada all of Bell Media’s broadcast and digital-only radio stations across mobile, auto dashes, tablets and smartphones, gaming consoles, wearables and more. The partnership will also bring iHeartRadio-branded events to Canada.

“We are partnering with the fast-rising iHeartRadio brand to develop its incredible presence in Canada through our leading platforms,” said Randy Lennox, President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media. “We will deliver a digital service that will serve our listeners across the country, providing them with great music, news and sports, as well as relevant and customized content from Bell Media radio and television assets, while providing dynamic and measurable advertising opportunities to our clients.”
 
“Joining with Bell Media to extend the iHeartRadio brand with Canadians is an exciting moment for us,” said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio. “This partnership allows us to connect with even more music fans and radio listeners and we know Canadians will enjoy the service as much as our listeners in the U.S.”

“Partnering with Bell Media and launching iHeartRadio to our neighbors in Canada is an important milestone in further expanding our international footprint,” said Michele Laven, President of Business Development and Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “This new partnership will allow us to work with distribution partners, including auto and consumer electronics, to extend our brand and reach even further.”
 
A leader in innovative radio programming throughout Canada, Bell Media features the country’s most dynamic, popular and respected radio brands, including Toronto’s CHUM FM, Canada’s #1 FM station, and the ÉNERGIE group in Québec, as well as international brands like Virgin Radio.

In the U.S., iHeartRadio, the all-in-one streaming music and live digital radio service, delivers listeners instant access to thousands of live radio stations, plus user-created Custom Stations inspired by a favorite artist or song, thousands of curated digital stations "Perfect For" any mood or activity and more.  iHeartRadio has more than 800 million downloads of the app and nearly 80 million social media followers and 90 million digital uniques across the iHeartRadio Network. In addition, iHeartRadio has surpassed 75 million registered users and continues to deliver record-setting growth. It reached this milestone at a faster rate than any other radio or digital music service and even faster than Facebook.  iHeartRadio’s registered user milestone does not account for the millions of listeners who tune into iHeartRadio’s live radio streams without registering.
 
iHeartRadio is currently available across the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, with Canada to follow later this year.
 
About Bell Media
With passion and an unrelenting commitment to excellence, Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's #1 television network; 34 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada's most-watched specialty channels in English and French; and four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 106 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across Canada. Bell Media owns Astral Out of Home, one of Canada's most dynamic and innovative out-of-home advertising companies with a network of more than 13,500 advertising faces in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites; delivers TV Everywhere with premium subscription on-demand streaming service CraveTV, as well as its innovative GO video streaming services including CTV GO, Discovery GO, TMN GO, and TSN GO; operates multi-channel network Much Digital Studios; holds an equity stake in digital startup Hubub; is partners in Cirque du Soleil Media, a joint venture with Cirque du Soleil; and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.

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