Overview
- Disney and iHeartMedia announced the licensing deal on Monday and will debut the first series, Hey Jonas!, on Aug. 14 with an episode tied to Camp Rock 3 and live appearances at D23.
- The agreement covers six iHeartPodcasts titles: Hey Jonas!, Pod Meets World, Desperately Devoted, Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald, StraightioLab, and Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim.
- Pod Meets World will stream on Disney+ on Aug. 24 while Desperately Devoted arrives on Hulu with video on Nov. 2 and the remaining shows are scheduled on Hulu this fall, with new episodes released weekly.
- Disney frames the deal as a way to bring fans closer to creators and boost cross‑platform interest, and iHeartMedia says the move grows reach for its top podcasts; company spokespeople include Lauren Tempest of Disney’s DTC group and iHeart CEO Bob Pittman.
- The pact follows a wider industry trend of platforms licensing video podcasts to increase mobile and daytime viewing, financial terms were not disclosed, and the shows are expected to drive rewatching of linked TV franchises.