One deal is designed to make broadcast radio programmatic for politics “and beyond.” The other involves the primary social media platform of choice for Generation Alpha and the current high schooler cool crowd. Both were just inked by the nation’s biggest audio content creation and distribution company.
Thanks to a deal announced Monday, iHeartMedia enjoys a new integration with ad tech entity StackAdapt.
The fresh arrangement brings iHeartMedia’s audio inventory — ranging from broadcast radio to its streaming and podcasts — directly to advertisers through the StackAdapt platform. It is designed to simplify audio planning and activation, as advertisers can now plan, forecast, buy, measure, and report on all audio channels within StackAdapt. “This
eliminates manual processes and enables faster and more precise data-driven decisions across AM/FM broadcast and digital audio,” says StackAdapt.
Greg Joseph, the company’s VP of Inventory, adds, “By making broadcast radio available programmatically, we are transforming one of advertising’s most established channels for the digital era. This integration enables our clients to reach iHeartMedia’s massive listener base with the same speed, efficiency, and transparency they expect from digital.”
For iHeartMedia Chief Business Officer Lisa Coffey, the partnership with StackAdapt makes iHeart’s audio content more accessible to the programmatic marketplace. “We are bringing together the reach and trust of broadcast radio with the agility and precision of programmatic buying,” she says. “For marketers, it is an opportunity to activate at scale in one of the most engaging and brand-safe environments.”
TIKTOK, YOU DON’T STOP
In a separate announcement, iHeartMedia unveiled that it has agreed to “a groundbreaking, multiplatform partnership” with TikTok that brings the social media platform’s creators into the iHeart ecosystem.
This collaboration includes the launch of the TikTok Podcast Network, which will feature up to 25 new podcasts hosted by TikTok creators, as well as a national broadcast and digital radio channel, and a series of live event integrations.
For TikTok, a dedicated audio offering has existed on SiriusXM in a prime locale — Channel 4. Now, iHeartMedia is getting in on the action as “TikTok Radio” will now be available across broadcast radio stations nationwide and digitally on iHeartRadio.
For the launch by iHeartMedia of the TikTok Podcast Network, the company is introducing new co-branded podcast studios in Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta with an “advanced audio and video infrastructure” for both podcasting and video production.
Additionally, the iHeartRadio Live Events arm will bring TikTok-branded activation to life across such signature events as the iHeartRadio Music Festival and iHeartRadio Jingle Ball.
“This partnership connects TikTok’s cultural energy and creator community with the unmatched scale and reach of iHeartMedia,” said Rich Bressler, the President, COO and CFO at iHeartMedia. “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. Together, we’re combining our vast networks to deliver relevant content on a massive scale. It’s a win for creators, fans, and brands alike.”
The announcements preceded the Monday afternoon release of iHeartMedia’s third quarter earnings.
