The two leading audio brands in the United States have formed a partnership as iHeartMedia and Audacy announce a new content distribution partnership that will significantly expand the reach of Audacy’s radio portfolio. Effective immediately, Audacy’s collection of more than 240 broadcast radio brands and time-shifted podcasts will be available on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital service for music, podcasts and live-streaming radio.
“This is an exciting day for our industry as the addition of Audacy’s stations to iHeartRadio maximizes radio’s presence across the country as the most listened to and trusted medium for audiences and consumers,” said Michael Biondo, president of business development and strategic partnerships at iHeartMedia.
As a result of the partnership, iHeartRadio users will gain access to a wide variety of Audacy programming. That includes 28 sports radio brands such as WFAN in New York, which is the most-listened-to sports station in the country. Listeners will also find seven of the top eight most-listened-to all-news stations in the U.S., including New York’s 1010 WINS, the nation’s leading news station.
In addition, dozens of music stations — including the World Famous KROQ in Los Angeles and Chicago’s 93XRT — will now be part of iHeartRadio’s lineup.
“This move gives our listeners even more opportunities to connect with the stations and content most relevant to them, aligning with our mission to always meet our audiences where they are and enhance their experience,” said Biondo.
Furthermore, through the iHeartRadio app, Audacy content will now be available on more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices, including smart speakers, in-car dashboards, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Chris Oliviero, chief business officer at Audacy, echoed the enthusiasm.
“We believe in the power of being everywhere, and this partnership is a meaningful step in our strategy to ensure our iconic stations, talent and programming are available wherever and however audio is consumed,” Oliviero said.
The agreement marks a rare collaboration between two of the largest players in the American audio landscape and signals a broader trend toward platform-agnostic distribution in the evolving digital audio ecosystem.
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