Group Nine launching podcast slate with iHeartMedia

Group Nine Media is launching a slate of podcasts across its four brands — NowThis, The Dodo, Seeker and Thrillist — exclusively with iHeartMedia, one of the largest commercial podcast publishers. iHeart will co-produce all of the content, a source confirms to Axios.

Details: The partnership will kick off with 2 new original podcasts from NowThis and Thrillist set to launch this fall. The deal will eventually also include a podcast from JASH, Group Nine's LA-based Studios team.

• “Who is?” from NowThis will launch with 16, 30-minute-long episodes. It will explore the backstories of America’s most powerful people, including politicians.
• “Re-Rank (WT)” from Thrillist will launch with 20, 35- to 45-minute-long episodes. It will feature Thrillist writers and editors debating and defending their travel, food and beverage list rankings.
• All podcasts will be overseen by Mickey Meyer, president of Network, and Brett Kushner, VP of new initiatives at Group Nine, and executive produced by Mangesh Hattikudur, head of development at the iHeartPodcast Network.

The big picture: The deal includes a production partnership, as well as an advertising revenue partnership. It's meant to be a more intimate, strategic relationship than just a content licensing agreement.

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