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Tuesday, July 27, 2021

iHM, Sports Illustrated Ink Multi-Year, Audio Content Deal


iHeartMedia has  announced a multi-year exclusive agreement to co-produce eight original podcasts with award-winning sports media brand Sports Illustrated and newly formed joint venture Sports Illustrated Studios. 

The iHeartPodcast Network will distribute all eight original titles as well as distribute Sports Illustrated’s existing podcasts across iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. Additionally, mutual marketing and promotion commitments will apply to all joint projects. Two of the eight original podcasts are scheduled to launch by Q1 2022.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sports Illustrated to introduce a brand-new slate of sports podcasts - limited series and ongoing shows alike, distributed to listeners everywhere,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “It’s an iconic brand that sports fans instantly trust, knowing that they will get the most credible and in-depth industry coverage, and we look forward to expanding that footprint into the audio space through the iHeartPodcast Network, where we uniquely have the reach and scale to bring Sports Illustrated the audience and monetization they deserve.”

The audio partnership will build upon Sports Illustrated’s deep bench of world-renowned journalists and continue its legacy of unique storytelling that unites athletes, teams and fans worldwide. The Sports Illustrated label will include editorial-focused content and analysis from the storied media franchise while the Sports Illustrated Studios label will provide scripted and limited series content.

Set to debut later this year, “Sports Illustrated Weekly” is a weekly podcast that will feature the best of Sports Illustrated’s unrivaled journalism in a premium audio magazine. Each 45-minute episode will feature deep-dive segments on the biggest news of the week and the most compelling personalities, trends and themes in sports, on and off the field. More details including its host will be announced at a later date.

“Storytelling is at the core of what SI stands for, and the opportunity to partner with iHeartMedia to create and distribute dynamic stories and shows featuring our incredible voices further expands our footprint,” said Ross Levinsohn, CEO of Sports Illustrated & Maven. Today, Sports Illustrated reaches more than 50M monthly visitors across all integrated site channels.

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