Bill Clinton Joins Presidential Podcast Playlist, Signs With iHeartMedia

iHeartMedia Inc IHRT is bringing an exclusive podcast from former President Bill Clinton to its listeners in early 2021.

What Happened: Deadline reports Bill Clinton will have a new podcast on iHeartMedia. The podcast will build on a podcast Clinton formerly hosted through his Clinton Foundation. “Why Am I Telling You This?”, available on Apple AAPL Podcasts, was hosted by daughter Chelsea Clinton and featured guests like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and former President George W. Bush.

Why It’s Important: iHeartMedia previously signed a deal with the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for an exclusive podcast to launch in 2020. This deal now gives them two unique podcasts from two prominent figures in politics.

Politicians continue to connect with audiences through podcasts.

2020 Democratic hopeful Joe Biden has a podcast called “Here’s the Deal.” Former President George W. Bush has a podcast called “The Strategerist,” on its third season available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Rival Spotify Technology SPOT recently launched an exclusive podcast with former first lady Michelle Obama. The company also signed large deals with Joe Rogan and the popular video game “League of Legends.”

What’s Next: iHeartMedia is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans. The company’s podcast segment is the top commercial podcast publisher with an audience of 26.2 million and over 234 million downloads in August.

iHeartMedia reported revenue down 47% in the second quarter. Podcasting revenue was up 103% year over year in the quarter.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia