iHeartMedia partners with Netflix for exclusive shows
Netflix is expanding into video-first podcasting. Here's how the shift could reshape content strategy and audience habits
Netflix is making another calculated move beyond film and TV, teaming up with audio giant iHeartMedia to bring over a dozen video podcasts exclusively to its platform starting early 2026.
This new partnership follows Netflix’s recent deal with Spotify and signals a growing interest in reshaping the podcast landscape by focusing on video-first formats. With well-known names like Chelsea Handler, Charlamagne Tha God, and Karen Kilgariff involved, Netflix is making it clear: this isn’t just a content experiment, it’s a long-term play for attention, ad dollars, and cultural relevance.
This article explores the strategic thinking behind Netflix’s latest audio-to-video content push, what it could mean for marketers, and how brands should prepare for shifting consumer behavior in the podcast space.
Short on time?
Here’s a table of contents for quick access:
- What’s the deal between Netflix and iHeartMedia
- Why Netflix is moving deeper into video podcasts
- What marketers should know
Patrecia Meliana
What's the deal between Netflix and iHeartMedia
In December 2025, Netflix and iHeartMedia announced an exclusive video podcast partnership that will bring more than 15 hit iHeartPodcasts to Netflix as video-first shows.
The rollout will begin in the US in early 2026, with international markets to follow. While iHeartMedia will retain the audio-only rights for distribution across platforms like iHeartRadio and Spotify, Netflix will host exclusive video versions of all new episodes and select back-catalog content.
Among the shows making the leap to Netflix are:
- The Breakfast Club
- My Favorite Murder
- Dear Chelsea
- Joe and Jada
- The Psychology of Your 20s
- Behind the Bastards
- Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know
- New Rory & MAL, and others
This means many of these podcasters will stop uploading full video episodes to YouTube, potentially impacting their viewership, ad revenue, and algorithm-driven growth.
Why Netflix is moving deeper into video podcasts
This move is Netflix’s second major podcast play in under a year, following a similar deal with Spotify for shows like The Ringer and The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Instead of building a dedicated audio platform, Netflix is betting on video podcasts to live inside its existing ecosystem. That allows it to capture a share of the growing audience that prefers to watch podcast content rather than just listen.
The play here is strategic. Netflix wants to win over fans who already treat YouTube as their podcasting hub. By securing exclusive video rights, Netflix becomes the new go-to platform for these shows and their communities.
But exclusivity has tradeoffs. Creators may gain platform support and potential funding, but they also lose YouTube’s discoverability, community tools, and ad monetization pipeline. It’s a bold shift that may test fan loyalty.
What marketers should know
Whether you’re running branded content campaigns or building partnerships with creators, here’s what this news means for marketers:
1. Video podcasting is officially mainstream
Major streamers are now in direct competition over video-first podcasts. This is no longer a niche content play. Marketers should explore how branded shows or creator partnerships could translate into long-form video content with audience stickiness.
2. Exclusive distribution limits reach
YouTube’s algorithm and shareability have made it a launchpad for podcast growth. Netflix lacks that same engine. Marketers working with talent involved in exclusivity deals should consider repurposing strategies or supporting content on other platforms to retain audience engagement.
3. Consider audience migration and behavior shifts
This move may encourage audiences to follow favorite shows to Netflix, but others might disengage. Pay attention to whether fan behavior adapts or fragments and update your campaign planning accordingly.
4. Netflix could open the door to new brand formats
So far, Netflix hasn't introduced mid-roll podcast ads or branded integrations in its video podcast strategy. But if that changes, marketers could gain new, premium ad inventory within a binge-friendly setting. Stay ready to test native formats if and when they arrive.
Netflix’s bet on video podcasting is more than a content diversification strategy. It’s a signal that lean-back, personality-driven content is becoming core to how platforms compete for attention.
For marketers, this means more opportunities to tell stories in deeper, more visual ways. It also means navigating a shifting creator economy where access, visibility, and fan loyalty are constantly being reshuffled.
If you're not already rethinking your podcast or video strategy for 2026, now's the time to start.
