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TikTok and iHeartMedia have teamed up to create the new TikTok Podcast Network, a portfolio that will house up to 25 podcasts hosted by TikTok creators. The shows will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will air across all major audio platforms. To support the development of new shows, the two companies are opening co-branded podcast studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. The deal, announced Monday, will create “exciting new opportunities for creators to reach wider audiences, collaborate across platforms and extend their creativity beyond the TikTok platform,” Dan Page, TikTok’s global head of media and licensing partnerships, said in a statement shared with ADWEEK. “Together, we’re amplifying the connection between artists, creators and our community through the shared power of cross platform storytelling.” The partnership will also extend into traditional broadcast radio with the rollout of TikTok Radio, a new iHeartRadio station that aims to recreate the feeling of scrolling the TikTok app, but in audio form. On TikTok Radio, iHeart DJs will play songs that are trending or up-and-coming on the TikTok app, alongside short commentary about why those tracks are blowing up and the stories behind them. TikTok Radio will be broadcast across some radio stations nationwide and will also be available digitally on iHeartRadio. “This partnership connects TikTok’s cultural energy and creator community with the unmatched scale and reach of iHeartMedia,” said Rich Bressler, president, COO and CFO for iHeartMedia, in a statement. “We’re giving creators access to the biggest audio platforms in America—creating new ways to tell stories, entertain, and build deeper connections with fans.” He added that bringing together TikTok’s and iHeartMedia’s broad networks will allow content distribution at “massive scale.” The collaboration between TikTok and iHeartMedia, which kicked off earlier this year with a singing competition hosted on TikTok Live, will also expand to include live events. The audio company plans to welcome creator storytelling to its flagship events, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball. iHeartMedia has been rapidly expanding its media partnerships as audio attracts more listeners and ad dollars by the year. This year, iHeartMedia has added new voices to its women’s sports network, created in tandem with Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, and also deepened its partnership with Amazon’s demand-side platform to simplify ad buying across its properties.
