A Lot to be Grateful for - A Look at What We've Been Building Across Audio, Video, Live Events and More
As Thanksgiving approaches, we're taking a moment to reflect on the creators, artists, listeners, fans and partners who helped make this year such a memorable one. From podcasts and live events to sports, video and new ways for audiences to connect with us, there's a lot we're grateful for as we look back on the year.
In 2026, more consumers are connecting with us across broadcast radio, podcasts, streaming, social platforms and live events. As listening habits evolve, we're focused on showing up wherever our audiences are and creating more ways for artists, creators, brands and fans to connect.
We Continue to See Strong Momentum Across iHeartPodcasts
Our podcast network is generating strong engagement. Today, iHeartPodcasts reaches more listeners than any other publisher in America, according to both Podtrac and Triton, with 173 million US monthly downloads and streams, more than the next two publishers combined.
Our original shows span every category across comedy, true crime, sports, entertainment and culture, and we're seeing audiences return to longtime favorites while embracing new shows and voices.
iHeart publishes some of America’s most compelling, widely followed and chart-topping podcasts including: Las Culturistas; Hey Jonas!; Stuff You Should Know; The Breakfast Club; Good Game with Sarah Spain; Behind the Bastards; Dear Chelsea; Bleep! With Ana Navarro and many others!
We're also proud to see many of our creators recognized for their work, with shows like Good Game with Sarah Spain, Straightiolab, Dope Labs, Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang and many others earning industry recognition in 2026.
iHeart’s expansion into video podcasting has opened up an entirely new market for our podcasts and creators and is additive to audio. Our video podcast content is now distributed across Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu and Amazon Music as well as our own iHeartRadio app.
We’ve also expanded our collaboration with TikTok with the launch of the TikTok Podcast network, bringing top-rated film and television podcast series Raiders of the Lost Podcast and other podcasts like Suite 305 with Lele Pons, Oh My Kosh with Hannah Kosh and Born to Become with Diana Flores to our network.
We're Bringing Fans Closer to the Artists and Moments They Love
One of our most favorite things to do each year is to bring fans together around music. We produce over 20,000 local and national events throughout the year, ranging in size and scale including our marquee live events such as the iHeartRadio Music Awards, iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, the iHeart Jingle Ball Tour and our iHeartCountry Festival. Just this past September, we welcomed thousands of fans back to Las Vegas for the 16th annual iHeartRadio Music Festival, while millions more joined us across broadcast, streaming and social platforms. This year’s lineup included BTS, Cardi B, Kenny Chesney, Zara Larsson, Snoop Dogg, Muse, The Smashing Pumpkins, Lainey Wilson, Weezer, Ciara, Benson Boone, Le Sserafim and Major Lazer.
The excitement extended far beyond the Festival arena and livestream. Fans followed performances, backstage moments and creator content across social media, helping make this year's festival our most socially engaged yet. The iHeartRadio Music Festival was the #1 worldwide trending topic on X, a top 10 overall search trend in the U.S., and garnered more than 12 billion potential digital media impressions throughout the event.
We’re helping more fans discover women’s sports stories
We've long believed the growth of women's sports represents one of the most exciting opportunities in media. As fan interest continues to surge, we're investing in coverage, storytelling and platforms that help bring those athletes and communities to a larger audience.
Since the launch, iHeart Women's Sports is gaining traction with 75,000 monthly listeners across 500+ broadcast stations, more than 4,100 weekly women’s sports radio reports, 20+ podcasts with 6.4 million downloads to date, and achieving 99 percent positive sentiment across social media.
We're encouraged to see that work recognized across the industry. This fall, both Jessie Katz and Sarah Spain from iHeart Women Sports were named to Sports Business Journal's Power Players: Innovators in Women's Sports list.
When we look back at 2026, one thing stands out: Audiences are engaging with us in more ways than ever before. Whether it's through a favorite radio personality, a podcast host, a live music performance, a TikTok clip or a women's sports story, we're continuing to find new ways to connect people with the human voices, music and experiences they care about most.
We're excited to keep building on that momentum as we head into 2027!
