iHeartMedia will expand its podcast platform to support both audio and video distribution within iHeartRadio at no cost to creators, the company announced December 22. The launch, scheduled for early 2026, allows podcasters to upload full-length video episodes through standard RSS feeds alongside existing audio content.

The platform expansion follows iHeartMedia’s exclusive video rights agreement with Netflix, which brings more than 15 iHeartMedia podcasts to the streaming service starting early 2026.

Distribution Model

According to the announcement, the video distribution platform requires no revenue share with iHeartMedia. Creators maintain control over monetization strategies and content hosting decisions, and the platform supports both full-length video podcasts and audio-only distribution based on creator preferences.

“While audio remains the backbone of the podcast medium, as well as its primary source of audience connection and the reason for the industry’s explosive growth, video podcasting is now emerging as a completely separate and incremental form to audio, in the same way that podcasting evolved as a new layer on top of broadcast radio,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia.

Creators can choose their video hosting providers rather than using iHeartMedia-owned services, mirroring the company’s audio distribution approach.

Netflix Partnership Details

The Netflix agreement grants the streaming platform exclusive video distribution rights to iHeartMedia’s podcast lineup while iHeartMedia retains all audio-only rights. Shows will continue availability on iHeartRadio and other audio podcast platforms.

The partnership includes popular shows, such as “The Breakfast Club,” co-hosted by Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, and Loren LoRosa, which surpassed one billion downloads. “My Favorite Murder,” featuring Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, has approximately two billion lifetime downloads.

“As content has become more popular and podcast creators have become true stars, we’ve seen a natural trend: Creative audio content is becoming more valuable to more platforms,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group.

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