MeatEater, the outdoors lifestyle brand made popular by the Netflix Original series of the same name, has extended its distribution and production partnership with iHeartMedia. The two companies first joined forces in 2021 to create the MeatEater Podcast Network, which has grown to 11 weekly podcasts across six channels. The focus of the new deal is accelerating its growth. As a part of the new deal, iHeartMedia and MeatEater will continue collaborating to create new co-produced podcasts in the outdoor, conservation and wild foods space.
“This renewal reflects a shared vision for creating compelling, thought-provoking discussion and narratives about hunting, fishing, the outdoors, conservation, and American history for rapt audiences worldwide,” the companies say in a joint announcement.
Since inking the initial deal, MeatEater’s flagship weekly podcast The MeatEater Podcast with Steven Rinella continues to rank No. 1 on the podcast charts in the Wilderness category and frequently ranks in the top 10 in the entire Sports category, per Chartable. It also releases episodes in a video format on the recently launched MeatEater Podcast Network channel on YouTube.
The MeatEater Podcast Network now also includes the weekly MeatEater Trivia hosted by Spencer Neuharth (which also debuts on YouTube every Wednesday) as well as a new live program, MeatEater Radio Live, airing every Thursday at 1pm ET, live on the MeatEater Podcast Network’s YouTube channel. Clay Newcomb’s Bear Grease franchise has expanded to include This Country Life, hosted by Brent Reaves. Other MeatEater Podcast Network shows include Wired to Hunt with Mark Kenyon, Cal Of The Wild with Ryan Callaghan, and Bear Grease with Clay Newcomb, which all regularly rank in the top five podcasts in the Wilderness category.
“We’re thrilled to call iHeartMedia our partner on the MeatEater Podcast Network over the coming years. The best partners are the ones who both support you and push you beyond your comfort zone. iHeart has been that partner for us since 2021, and we look forward to serving MeatEater fans and advertisers alike with continued investment and growth in our portfolio,” said Andrew Barge, Chief Content Officer at MeatEater. “MeatEater and iHeart look forward to more outdoor storytelling that fosters a deeper understanding of wild spaces and inspires Americans to live closer to nature.”
Kicking off this renewed partnership, MeatEater will return its MeatEater Kids series for a five-episode run today (Nov. 25). The first season of MeatEater Kids, an educational series featuring trivia and other outdoor-focused features designed for parents’ and kids’ co-listening, was released in July 2024. In addition to the limited holiday run, new MeatEater Kids seasons will return in 2025.
“The MeatEater Podcast Network is an unmatched resource for connecting with the outdoors, providing educational and entertaining shows for the entire family, like our upcoming special holiday edition of the MeatEater Kids series,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “The past few years really served as a springboard for listeners to get back to nature and we are proud to continue to help share resources that make it easier for the whole family.”
All new co-produced and existing MeatEater podcasts will be available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast listening platforms.