• by Melynda Fuller , October 16, 2019

As the podcast business continues to gain momentum and support from media companies, three have announced new deals and shows on deck in the coming months.

Today at its IAB Podcast Upfront, Meredith unveiled a new slate of shows leveraging the popularity of magazines such as  People, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle and Parents.

Shows set to launch at Meredith include: 

• “Ladies First,” a show hosted by InStyle EIC Laura Brown that features women who are known for bravery, kindness and curiosity. 
• “It Takes a Village,” hosted by Julia Dennison, executive editor of Parents.com. “It Takes a Village” examines the diversity of family life today as non-traditional families prepare to become the majority next year.
• A daily podcast from People visits the most important celebrity news, entertainment, royals, human interest, crime, health and style stories of the day. People EIC Dan Wakeford will host the podcast with reporters and editors from the brand. 
• “EW on Set: Schitt’s Creek” set to go live the morning after each new episode of the show. Entertainment Weekly also announced new seasons of “The Awardist” and “Best of Shows.”

"When it comes to connecting with busy consumers on the go, audio from brands they trust and love is a very compelling format," Rachel Reed, senior innovation manager at Meredith Corporation, stated.

iHeartMedia announced it will continue its partnership with Will Ferrell as the two prepare to launch a new comedy podcast company called “Big Money Players Network” in 2020.

The company will produce scripted and unscripted podcasts in a variety of formats and styles featuring top comedic talent.

Over the next two years, the company looks to launch 10 podcasts. Each of the shows will be available on iHeartRadio and on all other podcast platforms.

Wondery and NBC News have also partnered to produce new original narrative podcasts covering news and politics, criminal justice and lifestyle.

The partnership will include a scaled sales offering for advertisers, with Wondery becoming the exclusive third-party ad sales representative to podcast advertisers across the portfolio of shows.

Shows set to launch in 2020 will feature NBC News reporting and talent. The resulting shows will be co-marketed by NBC News and Wondery, extending reach to their combined 15 million listeners.

Wondery is behind hit podcasts like “The Mysterious Mr. Epstein,” which became its 21^st show to hit No. 1 in Apple Podcasts.