Netflix is reportedly eyeing a licensing settlement with iHeartMedia over its video podcasts — as a method to compete with YouTube.
Based on a brand new report from Bloomberg, the streamer is presently in talks with the audio firm, with the hope of touchdown exclusivity for a few of their podcasts’ video episodes. If an settlement is struck, this might imply podcasts would not add video codecs of their episodes to YouTube.
Nevertheless, it’s unclear if all of iHeartMedia’s podcasts — which embody “The Breakfast Membership,” “Las Culturistas,” “Jay Shetty Podcast” and “Stuff You Ought to Know” — could be included within the potential Netflix deal.
This replace comes lower than a month after Netflix struck the same cope with Spotify, which can see solely sure podcasts, together with “The Invoice Simmons Podcast,” completely stay on the streamer.
Per the deal, full episodes will probably be faraway from YouTube firstly of 2026 — however will, in fact, nonetheless reside on Spotify. But, the association doesn’t influence all of Spotify’s hits, as “The Joe Rogan Expertise” will stay on YouTube, the place it has 20.4 million subscribers.
Tubi additionally seems to be making related strikes, as “Crime Junkie” podcast host Ashley Flowers struck a deal to place her firm Audiochuck’s reveals on their service, which is owned by the Fox Company.
Whereas this appears to be the trending enterprise transfer, it does increase questions on whether or not it’s a sound transfer for podcasters, who probably run the danger of dropping a piece of their viewers by leaving YouTube — the place most individuals eat podcast content material.
Netflix didn’t instantly reply to TheWrap’s request for remark.
