Disney+ and Hulu deepen video podcast push with iHeartMedia deal

MUMBAI: Podcasts are getting a bigger screen. Disney+ and Hulu are expanding their video podcast ambitions through a new deal with iHeartMedia that will bring six podcast titles to the streaming platforms, adding another layer to the increasingly competitive battle for viewers’ attention.

The partnership will begin on August 14 with Hey Jonas!, the official Jonas Brothers podcast hosted by Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas. Other titles will roll out across the two services over the coming months.

The deal includes Pod Meets World on Disney+, while Desperately Devoted, Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald, StraightioLab and Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim will arrive on Hulu. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The move marks another step in Disney’s broader push to make its streaming services destinations for formats beyond conventional television and film. It also reflects the growing importance of video podcasts as streaming platforms look for creator-led programming that can build loyal audiences.

Video has increasingly become part of the podcast experience, with audiences moving between audio episodes, video versions, social clips and connected-TV viewing.

For Disney+ and Hulu, the format offers a way to bring established podcast audiences into their streaming ecosystems while giving existing subscribers more personality-driven content.

The iHeartMedia partnership also taps into the appeal of celebrity and franchise fandom.

Hey Jonas! will give fans a more intimate format for following the Jonas Brothers, while Pod Meets World extends the conversation around the popular Boy Meets World franchise.

On Hulu, Desperately Devoted will revisit Desperate Housewives, while Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald offers fans a companion experience around Scrubs.

The remaining titles will expand the mix beyond major television franchises, bringing different podcast communities and personalities to the platforms.

Disney+ and Hulu are entering a space that rivals are already exploring.

Netflix and HBO Max have also been expanding into video podcasts as streaming companies increasingly compete not just for traditional shows and films, but for the daily attention audiences spend with creators and personalities.

Netflix has struck podcast-related deals with both Spotify and iHeartMedia, including shows such as The Bill Simmons Podcast.

The shift also reflects a broader change in podcast consumption. What began primarily as an audio format has evolved into a multimedia proposition, with video increasingly central to how audiences discover, watch and share podcast content.

For marketers, the Disney+, Hulu and iHeartMedia deal creates another route into creator-led content and fandom-driven audiences.

Video podcasts can combine the intimacy of host-led audio with the visual possibilities of streaming. That opens the door to host-read advertising, branded segments, product integrations and visual placements, while allowing content to extend through social video and other digital formats.

The appeal is particularly strong around podcasts where audiences have developed long-running relationships with hosts.

iHeartMedia has positioned the partnership as an extension of its “Guaranteed Human” strategy, built around trusted personalities, creators and live voices rather than algorithm-led experiences.

The company says it reaches nine out of 10 Americans every month and remains the US’s leading podcast publisher.

The initial slate is also a bet on the power of fandom.

Hey Jonas! arrives as the Jonas Brothers continue to draw audiences across music and entertainment, while Pod Meets World gives fans another way to revisit a familiar television universe.

Desperately Devoted similarly brings a popular franchise into a podcast-led format, while Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald allows Scrubs fans to revisit the show alongside its stars.

For streaming platforms, such programming can offer something traditional content does not always provide: an ongoing relationship with audiences between major releases.

The first batch of shows will therefore test how effectively video podcasts can move from being a companion format to becoming a regular part of the streaming diet.

With Disney+, Hulu, Netflix and HBO Max all pushing further into the space, the podcast is no longer content confined to the headphones. It is increasingly becoming another battleground for the streaming screen.