According to Bloomberg, Netflix is in discussions with iHeartMedia to obtain licenses for video podcasts distributed by the company. iHeartMedia’s lineup features programs such as “The Breakfast Club,” “Las Culturistas,” “Jay Shetty Podcast,” and “Stuff You Should Know.”
Netflix is seeking exclusive rights, which would prevent any licensed video podcasts from iHeartMedia from being shared on YouTube. However, even if an agreement is reached, it’s possible that iHeartMedia will not make its full podcast library available to Netflix.
This development follows Netflix’s recent agreement with Spotify, which will introduce a handpicked collection of sports, culture, lifestyle, and true crime podcasts from Spotify Studios and The Ringer to the streaming platform.
As part of the Spotify partnership, podcasts featured on Netflix will be taken down from YouTube but will still be accessible on Spotify. Notably, some of Spotify’s most popular series, such as “The Joe Rogan Experience,” will continue to be available on YouTube.
By securing these video podcast partnerships, Netflix aims to strengthen its position against YouTube, which has become the leading destination for video podcasts after reaching over 1 billion monthly podcast viewers earlier this year.
