The National Football League’s podcast playbook remains the same as it announces an extension to the exclusive partnership with iHeartMedia that first launched the NFL Podcast Network in 2021. As part of the deal, new original podcasts and NFL Club shows are slated to launch and existing shows will continue to be available on the NFL Podcast Network. There is also growth in the game plan as iHeart will identify other existing podcasts to join the NFL Podcast Network during the deal, growing the partnership’s reach and scale.
“We are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with iHeartMedia,” said Brent Lawton, VP of Business Development and Strategic Investments at the NFL. “Since its launch in 2021, the NFL Podcast Network has delivered NFL fans best-in-class storytelling and podcast content, and we look forward to developing new podcasts and more content with iHeart.”
The NFL Podcast Network is a four-year collaboration between the NFL and iHeartMedia that was first formed in 2021. It is the premier destination for coverage of the NFL and its 32 teams, serving as the home for all official podcasts produced by NFL Media and the NFL. The network is home to popular podcasts including NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal, Off the Edge with Cam Jordan, The Season with Peter Schrager, NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, Good Morning Football, Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, 10 Takes with Kyle Brandt, The Insiders, NFL Players: Second Acts and more, as well as dozens of NFL Club shows.
The first new show is the just-launched Lots To Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel. It pairs iHeart’s nationally syndicated personality Bobby Bones with former Pro Bowl NFL quarterback Matt Cassel as they talk football, music, current events and their personal lives. Based in Nashville, the hosts will be joined in the studio by celebrity guests as they discuss football and beyond. Upcoming guests include country artists Tim McGraw and Parker McCollum, and NFL greats Jared Allen and Boomer Esiason, among others. Lots to Say will release new episodes each Wednesday.
“The NFL Podcast Network continues to grow and capture new audiences, and we’re thrilled to strengthen the successful partnership between iHeart and the NFL with new shows and the addition of more team podcasts,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “Our new extended deal is guaranteed to bring fans closer to the game, players and teams they love and keep listeners up to date on the insider information they want to hear.”
The success iHeart has had with the NFL has led to similar deals with other leagues. The NBA inked a similar multiyear deal with iHeart in 2021 that would see it co-produce at least 20 new series. And the National Hockey League announced last month that it had inked a deal with iHeartPodcasts to produce and distribute two new shows over the next year.