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 is timed deliberately: the podcast debuts on both platforms on 14 August, the same day Disney+ premieres "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 video editions 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, with weekly episodes rolling out over the coming months. Several are designed to drive rewatches of Disney-owned shows, such as "Desperately Devoted" (tied to "Desperate Housewives", streaming from 2 November) and the "Scrubs" companion podcast hosted by Zach Braff and Donald Faison. iHeartMedia, which has struck similar podcast licensing deals with Netflix, said the partnership extends its shows' reach, while Disney executives framed it as a way to deepen fan engagement with its streaming library.
- Disney+ and Hulu to stream six iHeartMedia video podcasts under new licensing deal
- Jonas Brothers' "Hey Jonas!" launches 14 August, tied to "Camp Rock 3"
- Other shows will encourage rewatches of "Desperate Housewives" and "Scrubs"
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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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