New, Original Podcasts Created by NowThis, The Dodo, Seeker, Thrillist and JASH to be Co-Produced and Distributed Across iHeartRadio Properties
Partnership Marks Group Nine’s Company-Wide Expansion into Audio-First Storytelling
NowThis’ “Who Is?” and Thrillist’s “Re-Rank (WT)” Podcasts to Launch in Fall 2019
NEW YORK (August 13, 2019) – Group Nine Media, the no. 1 publi “Storytelling is at the core of any forward-looking media brand in today’s industry,” said Mickey Meyer, President of Group Nine’s Network. “As a distributed media company and the leader on mobile, we’ve always met audiences where they are and podcasting is certainly the place to be. iHeartRadio knows this better than anyone and we’re excited to partner with them to extend Group Nine’s brands and creative prowess into the audio space.” “Group Nine’s brands create content that resonates extremely well with their dedicated and loyal fans,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “They are pioneers in social-first publishing and have built meaningful online communities that connect with audiences. We are excited to work together with them to co-produce an amazing slate of shows and extend their brands into the burgeoning podcast space.” Group Nine’s brand NowThis will introduce the “Who is?” podcast, which will explore backstories of America’s most powerful people, while Thrillist will premiere the “Re-Rank (WT)” podcast, which will re-examine some of Thrillists most iconic lists. Full descriptions for the new podcasts below: “Who is?” from NowThis 16 episodes, 30 minutes long ‘‘Who Is?’’explores the backstories of America’s most powerful people from top leaders in Washington and President Trump’s inner circle to the field of presidential hopefuls and major political donors. Each week, our host, NowThis correspondent, Sean Morrow, dives deep into a different political character with a complicated history and examines the power player’s story and their connections to one another. “Who Is?” is already a successful multi-platform series across YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and IGTV, with short biography videos voiced by celebrities. As a podcast extension, “Who Is?” will dive deep into conversations with the people and experts closest to our subject of the week. “Re-Rank (WT)” from Thrillist 20 episodes, 35-45 minutes long Thrillist is famous for finding the best of the best in food, drink, travel, and entertainment. Hosted by Thrillist writer and producer, Wil Fulton, “Re-Rank (WT)” takes one iconic Thrillist list and sets it up for discussion, bringing in the Thrillist writers and editors behind the pieces to detail their process, reveal how internal decisions were made, and — in some cases — defend their choices. In each episode, we’ll explore and try to define what is the “best” in the topic at hand, debate the findings, and touch on relevant topics in the Thrillist zeitgeist. iHeartRadio is available on more than 250 platforms and over 2,000 different connected devices — including smart speakers, digital auto da
