Disney+ and Hulu Expand Into Video Podcasts With iHeartMedia Deal
Disney+ and Hulu are expanding further into video podcasts through a new agreement with iHeartMedia, adding six established podcast titles to their streaming libraries as competition for creator-led programming grows.
The partnership was announced on August 10 and begins with Hey Jonas!, the Jonas Brothers’ official podcast, which will start streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on August 14.
Other iHeartPodcasts included in the agreement are Pod Meets World, Desperately Devoted, Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald, StraightioLab and Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim. The programmes will be introduced across Disney+ and Hulu in phases over the coming months.
The financial terms were not disclosed.
The agreement places Disney deeper into a format that increasingly sits between traditional podcasting, creator content and television. Netflix and HBO Max have also moved into video podcasts, with streaming platforms looking for programming that can attract established fan communities without relying solely on conventional scripted film and television.
Disney’s approach also connects podcasts directly to its existing entertainment franchises. Hey Jonas! will launch on the services with an episode tied to Camp Rock, ahead of Camp Rock 3, while Desperately Devoted builds around Desperate Housewives and Fake Doctors, Real Friends revisits Scrubs.
That makes the partnership more than simply adding podcasts to a streaming catalogue. Disney is using personalities and existing intellectual property to extend conversations around shows and franchises beyond the programmes themselves.
For iHeartMedia, video provides another distribution route beyond conventional audio platforms. The company said in its latest financial results that podcast revenue increased 20.7% year-on-year, while describing video streaming partnerships as an additional growth opportunity for its podcast business.
The move is another indication of how the lines between podcasting, social video and television are becoming less distinct. Creators and media personalities who previously competed primarily for listeners are increasingly competing for viewing time on the same screens as films and television series.
