The parent of what it considers to be one of the world’s largest podcast networks has signed a multi-year partnership with the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar to create “a thriving podcasting industry” in the Middle East and North Africa.
The partnership between the nation that hosted the 20220FIFA World Cup and iHeartMedia will see the company develop a podcast studio in Qatar, accompanied by a lineup of original shows and the introduction of popular podcasts to Arabic-language audiences.
“It will also execute specialized masterclasses to nurture local talent and host global industry events, including Web Summit gatherings, positioning Qatar as a meeting point for the world’s top podcasting voices,” the company announced on Monday at Web Summit Qatar in Doha.
For iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman, “Podcasting has exploded in the US and is now a mass-reach medium. And iHeartMedia, with our expansive network as the No. 1 podcaster in America, is in a unique position to grow strong listenership around the globe. iHeartPodcasts features a massive catalog of original shows spanning every category and this new partnership creates an opportunity to work with a long roster of incredible creators and distribute even more content to new audiences in the Middle East.”
The partnership was announced live from Web Summit Qatar’s main stage by Conal Byrne, Chief Executive Officer of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group, which also featured some of iHeart’s top talents including Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author and co-founder of Pushkin Industries and host of “Revisionist History”; Jay Shetty, global best-selling author and award-winning host of the chart-topping global podcast “On Purpose”; David Eagleman, neuroscientist at Stanford University, internationally best-selling author and host of “Inner Cosmos”; and Jonathan Strickland, Executive Producer for iHeartPodcasts and host of “TechStuff.”
