Disney+ and Hulu add Jonas Brothers podcast among six titles
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Disney has struck a licensing deal with iHeartMedia to bring six video podcasts to Disney+ and Hulu, headlined by "Hey Jonas!", a newly launched show from Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas. The tie-in was timed deliberately: the podcast debuted on both platforms on 14 August, the same day Disney+ premiered "Camp Rock 3", which stars the three brothers, with further episodes filmed live at Disney's D23 fan event that weekend. The deal underlines how streaming services are increasingly using podcasts as companion content to promote and extend their existing franchises and talent.
The other five titles include a video edition of "Pod Meets World" on Disney+, and "Desperately Devoted", "Fake Doctors, Real Friends With Zach and Donald", "StraightioLab" and "Thanks Dad With Ego Nwodim" on Hulu, rolling out with weekly episodes over the following months. Several are designed to drive rewatches of Disney-owned shows, with "Desperately Devoted" aimed at "Desperate Housewives" fans and "Fake Doctors, Real Friends" — hosted by real-life best friends Zach Braff and Donald Faison — aimed at "Scrubs" fans. Executives from both companies framed the deal as expanding their reach into video podcasts, a format they described as one of the fastest-growing ways for audiences to connect with talent; iHeartMedia has struck similar podcast-licensing arrangements with Netflix.
- Disney licenses six iHeartMedia podcasts for Disney+ and Hulu
- "Hey Jonas!" ties into "Camp Rock 3" and D23 event
- Other shows tied to "Desperate Housewives" and "Scrubs" rewatches
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Disney is expanding its streaming platforms beyond films and TV shows by adding video podcasts, licensed through a deal with the audio company iHeartMedia. The best-known of the six new titles is "Hey Jonas!", featuring brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas, who found fame as a pop group and have since worked on various Disney projects together and separately.
Streaming services increasingly use podcasts to complement their existing shows and films, giving fans extra content built around programmes or stars already popular with viewers. Some of the other titles follow this pattern too, linking back to established series and the people who starred in them, rather than being standalone shows.
Disney+ and Hulu are two of the major US streaming services, both owned by the Walt Disney Company, offering a mix of original programming and licensed content. iHeartMedia is one of the largest podcast producers and distributors in America, and has previously made similar arrangements with other streaming platforms to bring its audio shows to video audiences.
Coverage
- The Hollywood Reporter — Disney Doubles Down on Video Podcasts, Inks Streaming Deal With iHeartMedia
- Variety — Jonas Brothers Podcast Coming to Disney+ and Hulu, Along With Five Other iHeartMedia Shows
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