A New Home for Video Podcasts
Disney+ and Hulu are expanding their podcast offerings through a new deal with iHeartMedia that will bring six popular iHeartPodcasts to the streaming services, with new episodes released weekly. The partnership begins August 14 with Hey Jonas!, the official Jonas Brothers podcast, arriving simultaneously on Disney+ and Hulu.
The agreement reflects Disney’s growing interest in podcasts as more than audio-only entertainment. Lauren Tempest of Disney said podcasts have become “one of the fastest growing ways for audiences to connect with” stories and talent, while iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman said the deal gives listeners and viewers new ways to connect with familiar personalities.
For Disney+ subscribers, the move effectively turns podcasts into another form of streaming entertainment—one that can be watched on a television rather than simply heard through headphones.
Six Shows, From the Jonas Brothers to Scrubs
The centerpiece of the deal is Hey Jonas!, hosted by Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas, which promises intimate conversations and a behind-the-scenes look at the famous brothers. It will debut August 14, including an episode tied to Camp Rock 3 and additional episodes recorded at D23.
On August 24, Pod Meets World arrives on Disney+, bringing Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong back for another round of Boy Meets World memories and conversations; the podcast has already accumulated more than 55 million audio downloads.
Hulu will add Desperately Devoted, hosted by Teri Hatcher, Andrea Bowen and Emerson Tenney; Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald, featuring Scrubs stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison; StraightioLab; and Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim.
Why Video Podcasts Are Having a Moment
The Disney-iHeart agreement comes as streaming platforms increasingly treat podcasts as visual entertainment rather than strictly audio programming. Disney had already been adding companion and rewatch podcasts to its services, suggesting that the format can keep viewers engaged with shows and characters even after an episode ends.
The appeal is easy to understand: video podcasts can combine the intimacy of a traditional podcast with the personalities, facial expressions and visual interaction audiences expect from television. For streaming companies, they also offer relatively inexpensive ways to expand existing franchises and turn established fan communities into new viewing audiences.
With Disney+ and Hulu now adding video podcasts, the line between “watching TV” and “listening to a podcast” is becoming increasingly difficult to define—and that may be exactly where the future of streaming is headed.
