iHeartRadio to Launch Multiple Hit Podcasts in Native Languages Across International Markets, Further Expanding Its Global Reach

The Expansion Marks a Significant Next Step in the Rapid Growthof the Podcasting Medium

The First Wave of iHeartPodcast Content Will Include Hits Such As “Stuff You Should Know” and “Stuff You Missed In History Class” – With Thousands of New And Library Episodes Available in Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, French, German and More – On All Major International Audio Distribution Platforms

New York, NY — Aug. 7, 2019 — iHeartMedia, the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally , today announced it will translate and distribute a slate of its hit podcasts across the globe by first quarter 2020, marking a significant step in internationally available, regionally targeted content for the podcast industry. In the first wave, the iHeartPodcast Network will translate six hit podcasts series into the most spoken languages in the world, further extending the podcast medium across new international audiences and serving up incredible content from this exploding medium to listeners around the world, in their native language, at scale.

The first slate of translated shows include “,” “,” “,” “,” “” and “” with many more to come. The six initial podcasts, which have more than two billion downloads to date combined, will be translated into Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese, French, German and more, and will be available on all major international audio distribution platforms.

Over the last decade, podcasting has exploded into the mainstream. Listenership in the United States alone has grown exponentially with an estimated monthly podcast listeners in 2019 than in 2018. Additionally, younger Millennials and Gen Z are embracing podcasts, with listening up 48 percent with people aged 12-24, according to an Edison Infinite Dial 2019 study. Through these new translations, iHeartPodcasts will now be available in the native language of more than a billion people across the globe.

“Our goal as the audio leader is to deliver exceptional content to listeners anywhere and everywhere they are, in the way they’d like to hear it,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “By expanding some of our most popular podcast content into new languages, we see a major opportunity to introduce podcast listening at scale to whole new audiences abroad. What has always set podcasting apart is the engagement of the audiences – the superfans. So it makes sense to engage international audiences further and to super-serve them with content in their own languages to build their relationship with the content. I’m looking forward to seeing how international audiences respond to shows like ‘Stuff You Should Know’ in their own languages – shows which have amassed unbelievable fanbases in the U.S.”

iHeartMedia has invested heavily in podcasting, from acquiring HowStuffWorks in 2018 to producing a slate of new original shows like “The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” “Disgraceland,” “Noble Blood” and “Committed,” as well as over a hundred podcasts from its on-air talent like “Bobbycast” and “The Breakfast Club.” All shows are distributed on all major podcast platforms, including the iHeartRadio app, which additionally distributes more than 250,000 shows. Making some of these podcasts available to international audiences is the next big step in cementing podcasting within the mainstream marketplace and expanding its influence globally.

iHeartRadio is America’s No. 1 commercial podcaster and the No. 1 streaming digital radio service. on over 250 platforms and over 2,000 different connected devices — including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, televisions and gaming consoles.

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.