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FYI

Bell’s iHeartRadio Brand Inks Podcast Deal With Spotify

As many as 10 million Canadians are now listening to podcasts and Bell Media's podcast network is already available to audiences on a variety of platforms. The inclusion of its branded shows on Spotify marks a significant step in securing top status for its brands in a growing market at home.

Bell’s iHeartRadio Brand Inks Podcast Deal With Spotify

By FYI Staff

Bell Media’siHeartRadio Canada Podcast Network announced today a new distribution partnership with Spotify, vastly broadening the reach of original podcasts in sports, entertainment, lifestyle, and news categories originating from TSN, Much Digital Studios, RDS, CTV News, iHeartRadio Canada, and Bell Media Studios.


The deal solidifies iHeartRadio Canada’s position in Canadian podcasting by ensuring its content is available to listeners across every major audio platform in the country.

In addition to Spotify, the iHeartRadio Canada network reaches podcast listeners through distribution partners including Apple, Audible, Stitcher, and Google Play Music.

The media company’s podcast network offers a library of more than 11,000 unique programs, with hundreds of thousands of hours of new content produced monthly in 17 categories including entertainment, news, sports, science, politics, food, business, comedy, and crime.

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“This latest agreement with Spotify is core to our strategy of delivering the best storytelling to diverse audiences across the country, in every medium, on every platform, and now to more Canadians than ever before,” said Rob Farina, Head of Radio Content, Strategy, and iHeartRadio at Bell Media.

Continuing: “Podcasting is an established and growing content ecosystem where diversity of opinion flourishes and a near limitless array of genres and sub-genres can be discovered and explored. As Canada’s leading content company, we look forward to growing our footprint through sustained investment in this dynamic content community.”

As many as 10 million Canadians listened to a podcast in the past year, according to a Canadian Podcast Listener Study conducted by Audio Insights Inc. and Ulster Media with support from The Globe & Mail. Three years ago, 30 percent of Canadians were listening to Podcasts. Today that figure has jumped to 41 per cent with 24 percent listening monthly, 15 percent weekly and four percent daily.

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EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.
Courtesy of Girl Connected

EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.

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EMPIRE President Tina Davis Gives Strategic Advice to Women in Music at Girl Connected's New Speaker Series

On Friday (March 28), the president of EMPIRE, the Bay Area-independent label and music company, came to Toronto for Conversation with the Pros offering tangible advice to the mentorship program's community. Davis also spoke to Billboard Canada about her impressive journey in the industry.

Girl Connected has launched a new series that connects the next generation of women in Canadian music with powerhouse executives for the global industry.

On Friday (March 28), Tina Davis, president of EMPIRE, sat down with Girl Connected founder and music industry veteran Lola Plaku at Toronto Metropolitan University for the first in-person Canadian edition of Conversations with the Pros (Billboard Canada was a supporting partner). The series brings in inspiring music industry figures from Girl Connected's international network to talk about their journeys and offer actionable information and advice to help the budding music professionals develop their skills and reach the next level of their careers.

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