After nearly five years, hundreds of broadcast and digital-only radio streams are back on the online audio platform TuneIn.
On Wednesday, the companies announced a new deal that brings more than 250 local broadcast and online-only radio streams to TuneIn, which powers live audio experiences on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, smart speakers and other devices.
The deal also includes distributing Audacy-produced podcasts from its Cadence 13, Pineapple Street Studios and 2400 Sports divisions on TuneIn, and gives Audacy the ability to tap into TuneIn’s advertising supply. TuneIn will also make some of its original content available on Audacy’s streaming platform.
Some of the AM and FM radio stations that are now available on the TuneIn platform include:
- CBS Sports Radio (national feed)
- KCBS (740 AM, 106.9 FM) in San Francisco
- KGMZ (95.7 FM) in San Francisco
- KNX (1070 AM) in Los Angeles
- KROQ (106.7 FM) in Los Angeles
- WAXY (790 AM) in Miami
- WFAN (660 AM, 101.9 FM) in New York City
- WINS (1010 AM, 92.3 FM) in New York City
“We’re very pleased that Audacy has selected TuneIn to extend its digital reach and monetization capabilities,” Richard Stern, the CEO of TuneIn, said in a statement. “Audacy and TuneIn together bring consumers the nation’s most coveted Audio talent, including Garth Brooks, Tom Hanks, Boomer Esiason, Katie Neal and Bru, podcasts like ‘Fly on the Wall’ with Dana Carvey and David Spade, Amy Poehler’s ‘Say More with Dr. Sheila’ and ‘HBO’s Succession Podcast.'”
It marks a serious about-face for Audacy, the company formerly known as Entercom, which yanked around 200 stations from TuneIn as part of a push to get more listeners to use its Radio.com platform and smartphone app. The move also affected CBS Radio stations that were acquired by Entercom. The company adopted the Audacy brand two years ago.
Since then, Audacy has struggled to capitalize on its investment in CBS Radio, and the multi-year coronavirus health pandemic only created more financial headaches for the broadcaster. It recently put the Radio.com domain up for auction — it found no buyers — and sold off some assets in an attempt to generate revenue.
The situation has Audacy looking toward new sources of revenue, and the partnership with TuneIn is an obvious next step: TuneIn has around 75 million monthly active users, of which 40 percent are based in the United States, and Audacy now has exposure to streaming audio users who are already using TuneIn for their sports, news and entertainment needs.
The deal is also a big win for TuneIn, too, which inked a similar deal with iHeartRadio last year. The agreements allow TuneIn to boast that they now offer AM and FM stations from the two-biggest commercial radio broadcasters in the country.
Over the last two years, TuneIn has been steadily adding to its content roster as it works to draw more listeners and enter new markets. Last year, the service added streaming news and weather content from NBC News, Bloomberg and Fox News Media; forged a content distribution pact with sports-focused production firm Bleav; and onboarded live play-by-play coverage of Major League Baseball, National Football League and Premiere League soccer events.
