NBCUniversal has selected iHeartMedia to serve as the official exclusive audio partner for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The agreement will allow iHeartRadio to provide 24/7 play-by-play audio channels with select NBCUniversal linear television coverage of the Olympic Games. The play-by-play channels will facilitate listeners to hear NBCUniversal coverage of exhilarating moments from the Olympic Games with an emphasis on Team USA. NBCUniversal coverage across the iHeart channels is currently expected to include Team USA men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and soccer, in addition to swimming, gymnastics and track and field.
“We’re excited to partner with iHeartMedia to provide Olympic fans with even more ways to enjoy the Paris Olympic Games,” Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, said in a statement. “This partnership allows iHeart’s large audio audience to hear NBCU’s Olympic coverage away from their televisions and digital devices, as well as engage with the Games through iHeart’s celebrated and entertaining podcasts.”
iHeartMedia will create an original Olympic Games podcast hosted by Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang and Fire Island actor and comedian Matt Rogers. The program, which will be interview-based, will include current and former athletes along with celebrity fans. Through the show, listeners will be able to learn more about the Olympic Games and the stories behind the athletes. Episodes of the show will be released starting in late June and will continue through the Olympic Games Closing Ceremony in August. The program will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts, available to listen on the iHeartRadio app and through other podcast distribution outlets.
“We are thrilled to partner with NBCU on coverage of the Paris Olympics this summer and heighten the excitement around this year’s Games,” Michael Biondo, president of business development and strategic partnerships at iHeartMedia, said in a statement. “As the leading sports audio destination, it’s an honor to be able to provide our platform and our massive reach to bring further awareness and up-to-the-minute coverage of NBCU’s broadcast of this year’s Olympics.
The partnership with NBCUniversal will also permit iHeartMedia to produce Olympic-themed episodes of several of its most popular podcast offerings. Some of these are slated to include Stuff You Missed in History Class and Ridiculous History. Moreover, iHeartMedia will promote NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Summer Olympic Games, which it has broadcast since the 1988 edition of the event that took place in Seoul, South Korea. The International Olympic Committee granted NBCUniversal the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2032 in a deal that was finalized in 2014 for $7.65 billion.
