Cumulus Media has entered into a new partnership with Toronto-based media technology company Eon Media as the broadcast group looks to expand its use of artificial intelligence across its audio portfolio and digital platforms.
The companies announced a joint partnership to develop and monetize AI-enabled audio projects. These projects aim to improve content discovery, audience engagement, and data-driven insights. The collaboration marks a strategic step for Cumulus as it modernizes listener interaction. It also creates new revenue opportunities for advertisers and stakeholders.
Under the agreement, Cumulus and Eon Media will build AI-powered platforms to help listeners find and engage with audio content. These platforms will span Cumulus’ ecosystem. The technology will also optimize the company’s 395 U.S. radio stations and digital assets. It will focus on measuring consumer behavior and engagement at a more granular level.
Cumulus’ owned-and-operated stations, shows, and personalities generate hundreds of thousands of hours of original audio each year. This content includes morning shows, talk programming, and other spoken-word formats. The new AI tools are expected to organize and surface the content more effectively. They will benefit both audiences and internal teams handling programming, sales, and strategy.
Eon Media specializes in artificial intelligence built entirely in-house, using its technology to extract detailed metadata from media assets. That includes segmenting content, transcribing audio, identifying topics, recognizing music, and surfacing information such as people mentioned and demographic signals.
Those capabilities are designed to give media companies deeper insight into which content resonates. They also show how audiences engage with it across platforms.
From a listener perspective, the companies say the partnership will shorten the path between interest and discovery. By creating additional digital touchpoints, the AI-enabled platforms aim to help audiences find relevant shows, conversations, and topics faster, while also introducing them to new content aligned with their preferences.
The goal, according to both companies, is to meet listeners where they already consume audio rather than forcing them into a single destination.
Cumulus Media President and CEO Mary G. Berner said the partnership opens the door to new market opportunities while enhancing discoverability across the company’s portfolio.
“We are excited to join forces with Eon Media to create innovative solutions that will provide Cumulus Media with access to new market opportunities and untapped monetization paths. Importantly, this partnership will significantly enhance our ability to drive greater discoverability,” said Berner. “By expanding touchpoints and engagement opportunities, we ensure our listeners and audiences can connect with our content more easily and more often than ever.”
Eon Media Founder and CEO Ashish Agrawal described the collaboration as both innovative and collaborative, highlighting the importance of transparency and data security in AI deployment. He said the partnership is focused on delivering new engagement tools and deeper insights for stations and internal stakeholders, while using AI responsibly and securely.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
