Key Points
- iHeart and TikTok have forged a partnership that involves content distribution and a linear channel called TikTok Radio.
- TikTok says the pact will allow its video creators to reach larger and different audiences.
- TikTok had a similar partnership with SiriusXM, announced in 2021.
Nearly five years after forging a radio-focused partnership with SiriusXM, social video platform TikTok is broadening its horizons through a similar arrangement with national broadcaster iHeart, the companies announced on Monday.
The arrangement, reported by Inside Radio, will see the debut of a new podcast platform, called the TikTok Podcast Network, which will also include a linear content channel called TikTok Radio — the same branding TikTok uses for its SiriusXM station.
It wasn’t clear if the agreement with iHeart meant TikTok was moving on from its partnership with SiriusXM, where TikTok Radio was still broadcasting as of Monday morning.
Dan Page, the Global Head of Media and Licensing Partnerships at TikTok, said the deal with iHeart was meant to super-serve artists and creators alike by fusing new distribution channels with traditional media platforms.
“Together, we’re amplifying the connection between artists, creators and our community through the shared power of cross-platform storytelling,” Page said in a statement.
For U.S.-based TikTok creators, the partnership will allow content producers to leverage iHeart’s traditional and digital media platforms to reach new audiences, he said.
“This partnership connects TikTok’s cultural energy and creator community with the unmatched scale and reach of iHeartMedia,” said Rich Bressler, the President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at iHeartMedia. “We’re giving creators access to the biggest audio platforms in America, creating new ways to tell stories, entertain and build deeper connections with fans.”
The collaboration builds on a previous initiative between the two companies, which earlier this year hosted a singing competition on TikTok Live. It will also extend to live events, including creator-driven activations at the iHeartRadio Music Festival and Jingle Ball.
The alliance comes as iHeartMedia continues to expand its digital and creator partnerships amid steady growth in the podcast and audio advertising markets. The company recently added new voices to its women’s sports network and strengthened its relationship with Amazon’s ad platform to streamline programmatic buying.
The launch follows an agreement reached in September under which TikTok’s U.S. operations were placed under a consortium led by Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s MGX wealth fund. The deal gave the group a 45 percent stake in TikTok U.S., while China-based parent company ByteDance retained about 20 percent ownership.
