HowStuffWorks

The leading HowStuffWorks podcast continues to captivate audiences with its witty explanation of everything under the sun

NEW YORK -- January 18, 2019 -- “Stuff You Should Know,” an iHeartMedia podcast hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant in collaboration with HowStuffWorks, this month surpassed one billion downloads, making it the first-ever podcast to achieve this milestone and level of popularity. Launched in April 2008, the podcast has continuously educated listeners on a variety of topics in science, history, pop culture, urban legends, conspiracy theories and more. With over 1,000 episodes, a number of sold-out live events, a television season, and a new, streamlined version of the podcast titled ”Short Stuff,” the show and its riveting hosts have garnered a loyal following across the globe.     

Hosts Josh and Chuck started the show 10 years ago, both armed with a curious spirit and a passion for teaching. Initially, episodes lasted only a few minutes but quickly grew longer as the duo tackled more intensive topics ranging from dream control to zombies to acid rain. By explaining both complex and simple topics in a fun and relatable way, “Stuff You Should Know” had a strong following from the start, and it has since been atop the podcast charts. In addition to one billion all-time downloads, the show averages 30 million monthly downloads, making it one of the Top 3 podcasts in 2018.  

"’Stuff You Should Know’ was born out of a curiosity that Chuck and I both have about everything,” said Josh Clark, co-host of ‘Stuff You Should Know.’ "We aren't experts on any of the topics we discuss on the show, we just happen to be good at talking together about what we've dug up and I think that makes the podcast accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Reaching one billion downloads has really validated what we've built over the past 10 years and it makes us excited about the next 10 too. It's an amazing milestone for us and we're grateful to all the listeners around the world who helped grow that number."

Over the past ten years, “Stuff You Should Know” has earned a number of notable accolades. In 2014, the show won a Webby Award in the Mobile Podcast Division and in 2017 was a finalist at the Shorty Awards. “Stuff You Should Know” has most recently been nominated for the inaugural iHeartRadio Podcast Awards in the Podcast of the Year, Best Curiosity and Most Bingeable categories.

“In the last decade, podcasting has exploded into the mainstream, now producing some of highest-quality content in the world,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “And one of the best parts about this medium is its listeners. The relationship between podcast creators and their audiences is like nothing else: intimate, authentic, passionate. These are the fans behind every one of these billion downloads. We are thrilled to be the first to reach this milestone, and we look forward to the next one billion.”

iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital music, podcast, on demand and live streaming radio service, is partnered with all major podcast publishers ranging from NPR and WNYC to ESPN and Gimlet.  In September, iHeartMedia also acquired Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks podcasting business. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts side-by-side across more than 250 unique platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen to podcasts on your favorite device.

###

About Stuff Media

Stuff Media is the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content. With more than 50 brands, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the Stuff Media team reaches a highly engaged fan base across multiple platforms and distribution partners and has amassed a library of more than 10,000 podcast episodes. Stuff Media is headquartered in Atlanta, and also operates studios and teams out of Los Angeles and New York.

Launching on November 7, Stuff You Should Know co-host Josh Clark explores the future of humanity and the imminent dangers that lie ahead  

NEW YORK-- October 17, 2018 -- iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally with over 20,000 podcasts available on its platform, today announced the upcoming launch of The End of the World in collaboration with HowStuffWorks. The new podcast will be hosted by Josh Clark, co-host of the award-winning podcast Stuff You Should Know. On the new show, Josh will discuss the existential risks humankind faces and assess how they may be coming in the form of the technology we’re beginning to develop today. He will be joined by a number of experts across the podcast’s ten episodes, from astrobiologists to philosophers to economists and transhumanists. Fans can hear the official trailer now.

The first three episodes of The End of the World With Josh Clark debuts on November 7 and subsequent episodes will air weekly each Wednesday and Friday. Clark’s compelling and insatiable curiosity will guide listeners through a dark debate around the astoundingly odd and unique nature of human intelligence and how that might either destroy or save the species. The podcast will discuss pending threats to human life and the importance of mastering emerging technology – like high-energy physics, risky biotech experiments, and nanotechnology – in order to secure a future for humanity that could last for billions of years. The episodes in the series focus on fascinating and cerebral concepts like the Fermi paradox, artificial intelligence, digital consciousness and something called the Great Filter – which may or may not spell the end of the human race in the next century or two.

“Over the course of creating this series, I’ve gone from just interested in this stuff to coming to believe that humanity is in real danger of going extinct by our own hand soon,” said Josh Clark, host of The End of the World. “During these ten episodes on The End of the World, I hope listeners will come to see it too and that we’ll all start to do something about it.” 

For the past ten years, Clark has co-hosted 1,100 episodes of  Stuff You Should Know, which have generated more than 900 million downloads across the world and built an immense fan-following for the show and his unique style. In addition to the on-demand podcast, Clark has hosted live shows in cities across the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. A 12-minute version of the podcast titled Short Stuff was recently released as well. 

“Josh is an excellent storyteller who has engaged and excited fans for many years with his iconic show Stuff You Should Know,” said Conal Byrne, President of iHeartMedia’s Podcasting Division. ”We’re thrilled to have him join the iHeartRadio Podcast Network as he continues to delight both his loyal fans and new listeners with this show, which tackles a fascinating and daunting topic — whether the human race might accidentally drive itself to extinction.”

iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital music, podcast, on demand and live streaming radio service, is partnered with all major podcast publishers ranging from NPR and WNYC to ESPN and Gimlet.  iHeartMedia also recently acquired Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks podcasting business. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts side-by-side across more than 250 unique platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen podcasts on your favorite device. 

About Stuff Media

Stuff Media is the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content. With more than 30 brands, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the Stuff Media team reaches a highly engaged fan base across multiple platforms and distribution partners and has amassed a library of more than 10,000 podcast episodes and driving more than 1 billion downloads to date.

With this expansive and award-winning collection of audio podcasts, Stuff Media’s HowStuffWorks is ranked #2 in global downloads and streams. Stuff Media is headquartered in Atlanta, and also operates studios and teams out of Los Angeles and New York.

Season One of the New Podcast Will Explore the Salem Witch Trials

New York - September 26, 2018 - iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, today announced the upcoming launch of Unobscured, a new iHeartRadio Original Podcast produced in collaboration with HowStuffWorks. Unobscured will be a narrative documentary series written and hosted by Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore, an award-winning, critically-acclaimed podcast about true life scary stories. Unobscured will launch October 3, 2018 and trailer is available now.

For its inaugural season, Unobscured will explore the Salem witch trials, one of the darkest and least understood chapters in American history. Mahnke will use his signature storytelling to pull back the layers of time and introduce the individuals, traditions and superstitions that together tell the complete story of what really happened in Salem.

Scored by Billboard No. 1 classical pianist Chad Lawson, each of the 12 episodes are intertwined with interviews from the world’s foremost scholars on the Salem witch trials. iHeartMedia and HowStuffWorks have plans to bring this same narrative documentary approach to other misunderstood historical moments through future seasons of Unobscured.

"The Salem witch trials is one of the most infamous and intriguing pieces of early American history, and yet there’s so much about it that we’ve forgotten," said Aaron Mahnke, podcast creator, producer and host of Unobscured. "Through Unobscured, I hope to give those dark events a moment in the spotlight and show just how relevant they still are today."

This announcement comes on the heels of the news that iHeartMedia is acquiring Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks (HSW) podcasting business as well as a slate of premium podcast content.

“This is a momentous time for iHeartMedia and HowStuffWorks, having just announced that we are acquiring Stuff Media,” Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio and iHeartMedia Networks Group. “With HowStuffWorks’ expert content producers and iHeartMedia’s unparalleled reach and expertise in all things audio, the caliber of our collaboratively-produced podcasts will be unprecedented. Unobscured is the introduction to this new chapter in podcasting for iHeartMedia and HowStuffWorks."

Unobscured host Aaron Mahnke is the creator, producer and host of the hit podcast Lore (Best of iTunes 2015 & 2016) as well as Executive Producer of the Lore television show on Amazon (from the producer of The Walking Dead) and author of The World of Lore book series (Penguin Random House / Del Rey). Unobscured will be the second podcast produced by HowStuffWorks and Mahnke, the first being Cabinet of Curiosities. Visit HistoryUnobscured.com to learn more.

iHeartRadio is partnered with all major podcast publishers and features more than 20,000 podcasts ranging from NPR and WNYC to ESPN and Gimlet. The iHeartRadio Podcast Network also hosts more than 750 iHeartRadio Original shows. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts across more than 250 unique platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen to the trailer for Unobscured on your favorite device.

About Stuff Media
Stuff Media is the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content. With more than 30 brands, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the Stuff Media team reaches a highly engaged fan base across multiple platforms and distribution partners and has amassed a library of more than 10,000 podcast episodes and driving more than 1 billion downloads to date.

With this expansive and award-winning collection of audio podcasts, Stuff Media’s HowStuffWorks is ranked #2 in global downloads and streams. Stuff Media is headquartered in Atlanta, and also operates studios and teams out of Los Angeles and New York.

Increases Lead as #1 Commercial Podcaster and #2 Overall

Acquisition Demonstrates iHeartMedia’s Continued Investment and Leadership Role in the Audio Space with its Multiplatform Assets and Leading National Reach

NEW YORK -- September 13, 2018 -- iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks (HSW) podcasting business as well as a slate of premium podcast content. This acquisition will enable iHeartMedia to leverage Stuff Media’s original content, programming and experienced podcasting management team and to further expand its podcasting platform, increasing its position as the solid #1 commercial podcast publisher globally, #2 overall (Podtrac, 2018) and almost doubling its usage metrics.

iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital music, podcast, on demand and live streaming radio service, is already partnered with all major podcast publishers and features more than 20,000 podcasts ranging from NPR and WNYC to ESPN and Gimlet, and the iHeartRadio Podcast Network hosts more than 750 iHeartRadio Original shows.

Originally founded in 1998 as a reference site, HowStuffWorks pioneered the podcast space and was one of the first companies to turn podcasting into a revenue-generating business, bringing the medium to a mainstream audience with its informative, easy-to-understand explanations of how the world works. Today, Stuff Media is one of the nation’s largest podcast publishers, with more than 61 million global downloads and streams per month. Its “Stuff” franchises have attracted a dedicated following for more than a decade, with signature podcast Stuff You Should Know surpassing 500 million downloads this year -- the first podcast to surpass half a billion downloads. Atlanta Monster, a Stuff Media/Tenderfoot TV original true crime podcast that recently partnered with iHeartMedia, became the biggest hit podcast of 2018, and maintained the #1 spot on the podcast ranking charts for four straight weeks. Stuff Media’s Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, TechStuff and BrainStuff podcasts have all reached ten years of podcasting and over 1,000 published episodes milestones. The transaction is subject to bankruptcy court approval.

“While podcasting has already experienced tremendous growth, the real opportunity to bring the full potential of podcasts to the mainstream still lies ahead,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “Stuff Media is the original trailblazer of the podcasting industry, and we’ve been impressed by its ability to grow a massive, loyal audience over the past decade, led by a strong, experienced and cohesive management team, who we welcome to iHeartMedia. This strategic acquisition will pair Stuff Media’s wildly popular content and strong creative capabilities with iHeartMedia’s extensive resources and massive scale through our digital platforms, social reach and broadcast radio stations, introducing podcasts to the vast majority of the country and offering even more unique opportunities for advertisers to reach their consumers.”

Before this acquisition, iHeartRadio podcast listening growth has been up 73 percent year-over-year in 2018 vs. 2017. In addition to its extensive catalog of original podcasts, iHeartMedia’s “Podcast, Meet Broadcast” initiative enables podcast creators to uniquely scale their audience through iHeartMedia’s broadcast radio stations, which reach more than 90 percent of Americans each month. This innovative distribution strategy introduces millions of listeners to podcast content that they may not have heard otherwise, providing valuable opportunities for content creators and advertisers to build new audiences and create additional impact.

In 2017, Stuff Media, led by its President and CEO Conal Byrne, raised a growth equity financing round led by The Raine Group, a technology, media and telecommunications global merchant bank, to establish partnerships with industry leaders, grow Stuff Media's content library across podcasting and other mediums, and invest in top-tier talent. “Podcasting has emerged over the last several years as a mainstream media distribution channel. With one of the largest and highest quality libraries in the industry, we believed that Stuff Media was well positioned to take advantage of accelerating demand from both consumers and advertisers,” said Jeff Sine, Partner and Co-Founder of The Raine Group. “Conal's ability to assemble the resources to capitalize on these tailwinds and his execution on growth strategy has been exceptional. We are very excited for Conal and his team as Stuff Media enters its next chapter of growth.”

Conal Byrne will join iHeartMedia as head of its podcast division. Stuff Media’s podcasts will maintain their branding and remain headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with Byrne continuing as President and CEO of that studio as well. Byrne will report into Darren Davis, President of the iHeartMedia Networks Group and iHeartRadio. Chris Peterson has been promoted to EVP of the podcasting division for iHeartMedia, and will oversee the full slate of iHeartRadio Original podcasts, as well as manage the affiliate relationships for the company, and will report into Byrne.

“HowStuffWorks was a proud pioneer of the podcasting medium more than 10 years ago, and we are truly excited to be taking the next step with iHeart to chart the industry’s course for the next decade,” said Byrne. “Combining our assets with the #1 audio and media company, and #1 commercial podcast publisher, gives us the unassailable position in the podcasting business and a platform like no one else. No company in the world has iHeart’s audience size and innovative drive, and coupled with the creative engine of Stuff Media, this is a game changer for podcast storytellers and advertisers alike, and I’m honored to be leading this effort.”

“In the past year alone, iHeartMedia’s podcasting has exploded,” said Davis. “Our robust slate of originals spans a wide range of topics, and we’re continuing to forge partnerships to bring the most compelling series to the iHeartRadio Podcast Network. In addition, our unique iHeartRadio podcasts from our influencers such as Bobby Bones, Elvis Duran, The Breakfast Club and others, have created a whole new category. By acquiring Stuff Media, we’ll not only integrate its slate of original content, but more importantly, we’ll gain the most innovative minds in the podcasting industry to turbocharge our efforts.”

iHeartRadio, with its more than 120 million registered users, provides an all-in-one listening experience that helps users discover new podcasts alongside their favorite live radio stations, personalities and on-demand music. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts across more than 250 device platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download and listen to iHeartRadio on your favorite device now.

About Stuff Media

Stuff Media is the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content. With more than 30 brands, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the Stuff Media team reaches a highly engaged fan base across multiple platforms and distribution partners and has amassed a library of more than 10,000 podcast episodes and driving more than 1 billion downloads to date. With this expansive and award-winning collection of audio podcasts, Stuff Media’s HowStuffWorks is ranked #2 in global downloads and streams. Stuff Media is headquartered in Atlanta and also operates studios and teams out of Los Angeles and New York.

About The Raine Group

The Raine Group is a global merchant bank focused exclusively on technology, media, and telecommunications. The firm has offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, and Mumbai. With a global reach, Raine focuses on investment and advisory opportunities where its deep industry experience and unique network of strategic relationships can create value for portfolio companies and clients. For more information, visit www.raine.com.

New Season to Launch as “Monster: The Zodiac Killer”

“Monster: The Zodiac Killer” to join the iHeartRadio Podcast Network with first episode to premiere exclusively on broadcast radio nationwide before available anywhere else

NEW YORK AND ATLANTA – September 5, 2018 – iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, today announced a partnership with the teams behind popular podcast Atlanta Monster — HowStuffWorks,  the largest for-profit podcasting company in the world and Tenderfoot TV, a hub for content creators and storytellers — to launch season two as Monster: The Zodiac Killer and continue tackling high-profile cases in subsequent seasons. 

Emerging from its debut season as 2018’s breakout hit with more than 30 million downloads, season two will be released in early January 2019, with trailers running through December. Under this agreement, the podcast will officially join the iHeartRadio Podcast Network, and iHeartMedia will become the primary distribution partner for all Atlanta Monster and Monster: The Zodiac Killer episodes. The partnership also includes plans for additional seasons to come.

Atlanta Monster host, director and award-winning documentary filmmaker Payne Lindsey will serve as an executive producer on Monster: The Zodiac Killer, in addition to lending his creative voice on the podcast throughout upcoming seasons. Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks will continue to co-produce the series with Tenderfoot TV President Donald Albright and HowStuffWorks Head of New Initiatives Jason Hoch also serving as Executive Producers. Season two will explore The Zodiac Killer, a serial killer connected to a string of murders in California in the 1960s and 1970s whose identity, to this day, still remains unknown.

“It’s evident that our listeners across the country continue to have a huge appetite for true crime programs -- stories involving real people and actual real crimes.  Monster: The Zodiac Killer is not just about exploring the crime, it’s about the people and communities around the crime,” said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio and iHeartMedia Networks Group. “Atlanta Monstertold a powerful story that delved deep into the societal context and cultural significance of the events that took place. This is true crime flipped on its head, and we know season two will be even more captivating and compelling than the first.  We are excited about this partnership and being able to introduce this program to our hundreds of millions of listeners.”

The first episode is set to premiere January 3, 2019 exclusively on iHeartRadio’s broadcast radio stations across the country. A digital roll-out of the full season will follow the broadcast premiere and will be available on iHeartRadio. UTA brokered the deal on behalf of HowStuffWorks and TenderfootTV.

“iHeartMedia has extraordinary reach and the ability to engage millions upon millions of listeners via its vast network of broadcast radio stations and its highly engaged digital user base,” said Conal Byrne, President and CEO of HowStuffWorks. “This partnership is an immense opportunity to accelerate the growth of our listenership and expose the next phase of Atlanta Monster to an entirely new audience, thirsty for true crime.”

“With Atlanta Monster, we really tried to explore and understand all the layers of what was an integral and transformative time in not just the city’s history, but the nation’s history,” said host, co-creator and Tenderfoot TV Co-Founder Payne Lindsey. “I think the success of the podcast proved that listeners want more of these true crime stories where we are dissecting not only harrowing, oftentimes tragic, events, but the complex people involved in them. The new season examines the narrative around one of the most infamous serial killers in American history, and we believe that our partnership with iHeartMedia will allow us to bring this fascinating story to a massive audience that only iHeart can provide.”

iHeartMedia is the No. 1 commercial radio podcaster in the U.S. and the largest publisher of podcasts in the country, featuring more than 750 original shows on the iHeartRadio Podcast Network. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts across more than 250 unique device platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen to Atlanta Monster on your favorite device now.

About HowStuffWorks

HowStuffWorks is the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content. With more than 30 brands, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the HowStuffWorks team reaches a highly engaged fan base across multiple platforms and distribution partners and has amassed a library of more than 10,000 podcast episodes and driving more than 1 billion downloads to date. With this expansive and award-winning collection of audio podcasts, HowStuffWorks is ranked #2 in global downloads and streams. The company, founded in 1998, is headquartered in Atlanta and also operates studios and teams out of Los Angeles and New York. 

About Tenderfoot TV

Founded by Atlanta director and independent filmmaker, Payne Lindsey, and music industry veteran, Donald Albright, Tenderfoot TV is a hub for content creators and storytellers. The company launched in August 2016 with the release of the viral true crime podcast “Up and Vanished” and has since created podcasts including the number one hit podcast “Atlanta Monster” and “Sworn.” Together these podcasts amass over 235 million downloads in total, with “Up and Vanished” making up 200 million of those downloads and “Atlanta Monster” and “Sworn” cultivating the remaining 35 million downloads. Additionally, Tenderfoot will transition into the television space with Up and Vanished, as it is now in development with Propagate as a docu-series for Oxygen. Tenderfoot strives to tell compelling stories that connect with the audience, delivering those stories in an entertaining fashion that keeps the audience engaged. No rules. No creative restrictions.