Disney and iHeartMedia expand video podcasts on Hulu and Disney+

Disney+ and Hulu said they will add six iHeartPodcast video titles in a licensing deal that pushes podcasts deeper into streaming television. The rollout begins August 14, 2026, with Hey Jonas! first and additional iHeartPodcasts set to arrive throughout the year.

Hey Jonas! is hosted by Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas. The other titles named in the deal are Desperately Devoted, Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald, Pod Meets World, StraightioLab and Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim. The companies are treating the podcasts as established fan brands that can move directly onto streaming platforms without the cost and delay of building a new original series from scratch.

That matters because video podcasts fit neatly into a streaming business that is still under pressure to prove its economics. For Disney, Hulu and their rivals, personality-driven shows can help keep subscribers inside the app longer, especially when the content is designed for repeat listening and viewing rather than one-off bingeing. They also create new advertising inventory around formats that tend to attract loyal audiences and frequent returns, giving the platforms another way to sell time to advertisers without relying only on scripted series or live sports.

The deal also shows how much the media business has changed around format and distribution. A podcast is no longer just an audio file for a phone or car ride; it can become a filmed conversation for a television screen, then be clipped for social feeds and promoted across multiple platforms. That flexibility has made video podcasts one of the more attractive pieces of creator-driven media, especially for companies looking for lower-cost programming with recognizable hosts and steady audience habits.

Disney’s move with iHeartMedia suggests the company wants to use Hulu and Disney+ not just as libraries of premium entertainment, but as wider attention markets where podcasts can live beside movies, series and franchise content. iHeartMedia gains another distribution path for its podcast brands, while Disney gets a way to widen its lineup with content that is cheaper than a scripted production slate and easier to refresh over time.