partnership

The multi-year exclusive partnership will deliver dedicated NFL content to fans

NEW YORK – April 19, 2021 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac and the National Football League (NFL) today announced an exclusive podcast partnership to launch the NFL’s podcast network which will include the distribution of NFL Media’s existing podcasts, (Around the NFL, Move the Sticks, NFL Fantasy Football, Huddle and Flow, NFL Total Access: The Locker Room, Good Morning Football and NFL Legends) as well as the co-production and distribution of two dozen new original podcasts.

“Podcasts are an increasingly important way to reach fans and a compelling way to tell NFL stories,” said Kevin LaForce, Senior Vice President, Media Strategy and Business Development. “We look forward to partnering with iHeartMedia to bring the NFL Podcast Network to life and deliver our podcast content seamlessly to fans on their platform and anywhere podcasts are consumed.”

As part of the exclusive deal, the new podcast slate will develop new shows with NFL Films utilizing some of the best content from their archives, while also creating new podcasts focusing on NFL history, inside access, and more. These NFL podcasts will be distributed through the iHeartPodcast Network.

“Our partnership with the NFL is an incredible moment for iHeart – and the podcast industry, period,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “The NFL represents sports at its highest level – with the greatest athletes and the most heart-pounding games the world has seen. These are legendary stories, and we can’t wait to roll out a slate of incredible new podcasts to capture it all – for iHeart’s huge audience and the NFL’s massive fanbase alike.”

“We’re excited to partner with the NFL to extend their reach through podcasting to millions of listeners around the world,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises at iHeartMedia. “With these upcoming podcasts, fans will be able to experience the NFL in a new way through rich, deep-dive audio content on their favorite teams and exclusive commentary from their favorite players.”

The first new original podcasts stemming from this partnership will be in-progress by this upcoming summer, ahead of the 2021 NFL season, and will be available on the iHeartRadio App and everywhere podcasts are heard.

About NFL Media Podcasts

Around the NFL

The "Around the NFL" crew of Gregg Rosenthal, Dan Hanzus, and Marc Sessler break down the latest football news, with a dash of mirth.

Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks

Former NFL scouts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks break down the latest news and action around the league from a scout’s perspective.

NFL Fantasy Football Podcast

Fantasy Football fans, this is the podcast for you. Marcas Grant, Mike Florio, and Kimmi Chex, provide detailed fantasy football analysis combining in-depth stats and film study to help you win your league and earn bragging rights over your friends, coworkers, or family.

Huddle and Flow

Steve Wyche and Jim Trotter call on their experiences as two black men with 40-plus years combined covering the NFL to bring listeners unfiltered, enlightening, and entertaining conversations about important issues involving the league both on and off the field.

NFL Total Access: The Locker Room

Former NFL head coach Brian Billick and fullback Michael Robinson provide unique stories and insights about the game of football and those who coach and play it. These two Super Bowl champions take listeners inside the locker room to learn what’s really going on in the NFL.

Good Morning Football

It’s never too early for football! Each morning Will Selva brings you the key NFL stories you need to know in a bite-sized daily podcast. Tune in each day for commentary from GMFB personalities Kay Adams, Nate Burleson, Peter Schrager, and Kyle Brandt.

NFL Legends Podcast

The NFL Legends Podcasts is an unscripted podcast series discussing the challenges and personal anecdotes of NFL Players. Hosted by Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams, topics include parenting, coaching, wellness and overcoming adversity.

Amid Covid-19 surge of interest in outdoor pursuits, Steven Rinella’s popular MeatEater Podcast Network poised for rapid expansion through iHeartMedia’s vast multi-platform reach

BOZEMAN, MT – April 5, 2021- Leading outdoors lifestyle brand MeatEater, Inc. and iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, announced today they have entered a major production and distribution partnership, the first of its kind in the outdoor category. Founded with the belief that a deeper understanding of the natural world enriches all of our lives, MeatEater brings together leading influencers in the outdoor space to create premium content, apparel and products in the areas of hunting, fishing, wild foods and conservation. The partnership will leverage MeatEater’s brand, made popular by the Netflix Original MeatEater--currently in its 9th season--and chart topping podcast network which averaged over four million monthly downloads in 2020, and the massive reach of iHeartMedia’s cross-platform digital and broadcast network in order to serve outdoor-minded listeners across the country.

As part of the deal, all existing and upcoming MeatEater podcasts will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network and will be promoted across iHeartMedia’s multi-platform network, including iHeartRadio, its free all-in-one digital streaming service. Existing podcasts joining iHeartRadio will include The MeatEater Podcast with Steven Rinella, the No. 1 podcast in the outdoor category and consistently among the top 10 podcasts in the broader sports category across listening platforms. Other shows include Wired to Hunt with Mark Kenyon, Cal’s Week in Review with Ryan Callaghan, Cutting the Distance with Remi Warren, The Hunting Collective with Ben O’Brien, and Bent with Joe Cermele and Miles Nolte. As a part of the new deal, iHeartMedia and MeatEater will also collaborate to create new co-produced podcasts in the outdoor, conservation and wild foods space.

Plus this Wednesday, April 7, MeatEater will launch its first history-focused podcast, Bear Grease, hosted by Clay Newcomb. Newcomb, a writer, hunter, and MeatEater Crew favorite, will explore things forgotten but relevant, search for insight in unlikely places, and tell the story of the American hunter through his unique experiences and approach to the outdoors.

“I frequently hear from people who are discovering the majesty of the American outdoors for the first time in their lives because of what we do,” said MeatEater CEO Dan Chumbler. “Helping people enrich their lives with nature is why we get up in the morning, and it’s why iHeartMedia is the perfect partner for us. iHeart’s reach is simply unparalleled. We can now bring our content to even more of those who, amid a pandemic, are finding a new passion for the outdoors,” added Chumbler.

“Steve and the MeatEater team have done an amazing job elevating what was previously a niche category into mainstream listening,” said Will Pearson, COO of the iHeartPodcast Network. “Fans are really embracing the outdoor lifestyle more than ever and it’s remarkable how fascinating and entertaining MeatEater has made these topics – there’s just nothing like it in the space. We are looking forward to collaborating on even more great audio content and introducing it to our listeners everywhere.”

All new co-produced and existing MeatEater podcasts will be available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast listening platforms. The iHeartPodcast Network, which is home to more than 750 original podcasts with over 228 million downloads each month, spans every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, lifestyle, family, comedy and true crime—and everything in between—making iHeartRadio the largest publisher of podcast content in the world.

About MeatEater, Inc.

MeatEater, Inc. is an outdoor lifestyle media and commerce company founded by renowned writer, TV, and podcast personality Steven Rinella. With the belief that a deeper understanding of the natural world enriches all of our lives, MeatEater brings together the leading influencers in the categories of fishing, hunting, wild foods, and conservation to create premium content, experiences, apparel, and equipment. MeatEater, Inc. is the parent company of First Lite, FHF Gear, and Phelps Game Calls.

iHeartMedia’s partnership with the leading UK podcasting company will include eleven new podcast docuseries over the next three years, focused on stranger-than-fiction true stories

NEW YORK – February 24, 2021 – iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, today announced a new partnership with Novel, one of the UK’s leading independent podcast companies, to co-produce a series of narrative, in-depth investigative podcasts. Together, iHeartMedia and Novel will launch eleven new, original podcast series over the next three years, starting with “The Assault on America” and “Deliver Us From Ervil.”           

The expansive new slate features a collection of ambitious audio docuseries aimed at giving listeners access to worlds they never knew existed. From the real-life superheroes appearing at Black Lives Matter protests to a violent fundamentalist Mormon cult installed near the US-Mexican border, these new iHeartRadio Original Podcasts feature in-depth, narrative investigations of unexplored subcultures and stranger-than-fiction true stories.

"We're thrilled to be entering into such an exciting partnership with iHeartMedia,” said Sean Glynn, CEO of Novel. “Pairing Novel's best-in-class storytelling credentials with iHeartMedia's excellent editorial judgment and global distribution is an incredibly compelling combination.”

“This new partnership will allow us to produce deeply researched, narratively rich investigative series at scale that grip listeners right off the bat,” added Max O’Brien, Head of Content at Novel. “We couldn't be more proud to be the first UK-based podcast company to sign a slate deal with iHeartMedia."

In addition to announcing the deal, the companies also shared details on the first two podcast series set to debut as part of the partnership. 

“The Assault on America” tells the inside story of the insurrection at the Capitol like you’ve never heard before. Working with open-source investigative journalists Bellingcat, Novel painstakingly collected thousands of hours of smartphone footage, including 1,200 videos that directly incriminate protestors. Scouring the darkest corners of right-wing websites like 8chan, Parler and Gab, this series uncovers chilling, never-before-heard footage and comments posted by mob members. Much of this exclusive material has since been deleted from the web, but has been preserved by Bellingcat. Now, we’ll hear the events of January 6th brought to life in 360-degree detail.

“Deliver Us From Ervil” is an investigative true-crime series in which a groundbreaking team of journalists enters a lawless town on the border of Mexico run by a secretive religious sect living in exile and outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. government since 1924. The journalists will speak to the inhabitants of this strange town and uncover the secrets behind the surreal desert fortress with a murderous past that continues to haunt all who enter.     

“We’re eager to collaborate with the brilliant minds at Novel to bring listeners an incredible new lineup of history, true-crime and documentary podcasts,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “Novel has a penchant for producing award-winning docuseries, and we couldn’t be more excited to join forces and bring their storytelling talent and expertise to the iHeartPodcast Network.”

The new slate of co-produced podcasts will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network, which is home to more than 750 original podcasts with over 253 million downloads and streams each month.

About Novel

Novel is one of the UK’s leading independent podcasting companies. The team is made up of 13 members of full-time in-house staff and two board members, one of whom is the former CEO of VICE UK. Recent highlights include: The Bellingcat Podcast (Audio Production Award Gold winner, two-time ARIA winner, British Podcast Award winner, PSA Political Podcast Of The Year — Financial Times: “Extraordinary in detail, tenacity and execution;” Esquire: “Clear-eyed original reporting … dramatic”); Kim Noble’s Futile Attempts (At Surviving Tomorrow) (The Observer: “Wilder and more interesting than almost everything else out there;” The Sunday Times: “Brutal and deeply compelling;” Financial Times: “Unlike anything else you’ve heard;” The Guardian: “Darkly comic and beautiful”); The Political Butterfly Effect (Sunday Times: “Neatly, briskly, sharply produced;” New Statesman: “Fun, forensic hypothesizing ;” Politico “Essential listening”) and Remembering Christopher Hitchens. Visit we-are-novel.com for more company information.