Shares of iHeartMedia jumped 22% on Tuesday to their highest level in more than two years after a Bloomberg report revealed that Netflix is in talks to license video podcasts from the U.S. radio and podcasting giant. The rally marks iHeart’s best trading day in months, signaling renewed investor optimism about the company’s growth prospects.
According to the report, Netflix aims to secure exclusive rights to select iHeart video podcasts, potentially removing them from YouTube and intensifying competition among streaming platforms. A partnership could bring iHeart’s top shows to a global audience and create new opportunities for advertisers and podcast creators as the industry evolves toward more visual formats.
Analysts said the talks reflect a broader shift in the media landscape, where audio platforms are increasingly embracing video-driven engagement to boost viewer retention. A study by Zebracat earlier this year found that average engagement with video podcasts was 2.7 times higher than with audio-only versions on mobile devices.
The potential deal mirrors Netflix’s recent move with Spotify, which announced last month that its most popular video podcasts would appear on Netflix from early 2026. If finalized, the iHeart collaboration could establish the streaming giant as a major player in video podcasting and mark a significant milestone in iHeartMedia’s post-pandemic turnaround.