Hillary Clinton is entering the podcast space.
The former secretary of state has partnered with iHeartMedia to co-produce a new show. iHeartMedia is offering few details of the project, except that it will be available this spring.
Clinton has dabbled in podcasting before. She released a show, With Her, during her 2016 presidential campaign. It ended after she lost to Donald Trump but was revived briefly in 2017 for a look back on the campaign. The Clinton Foundation also has the podcast Why Am I Telling You This? with former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton.
Current and former politicians have been drawn to the podcast medium of late. Barack and Michelle Obama inked a multi-show deal with Spotify in 2019 to produce podcasts that is expected to kick off this year. Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz launched the political news show Verdict in January.
With the Clinton deal, iHeartMedia has scored a coup. The partnership with Clinton comes as she is expected to return to the spotlight with new Hulu docuseries Hillary, which premieres March 6. It could also give her a platform as the 2020 presidential election heads into its final months.
iHeartMedia, a division of iHeartRadio, currently has more than 750 original podcasts across a variety of topics.
Politico first reported on Clinton’s podcast.
In other podcast and audio news:
– Audible has cast Dakota Fanning to perform in the audio version of Divergent author Veronica Roth’s new novel, Chosen Ones. This will be the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress’ first performance for Audible. “I love audiobooks, so I had my fingers crossed that Audible would do something special with Chosen Ones — and I am definitely not disappointed,” Roth said in a statement. “Sloane is a complex character who needs a strong voice to come alive in audio form, and I think Dakota Fanning is going to knock it out of the park. I’ve been a fan of hers for her entire career, so I’m beyond thrilled.” Roth will also be performing a cameo in the audio version, which is exclusive to Audible. Chosen Ones, Roth’s first adult novel, is due April 7.
– Apple has purchased the rights to Wondery’s WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork to develop a limited series based on the show. It will be executive produced and co-written by Lee Eisenberg (Little America) and Drew Crevello (The Grudge 2) and produced by Wondery. A number of Wondery podcasts have been options for television, including Dirty John, which aired on Bravo, and Dr. Death, which will be among the early shows on NBCUniversal’s forthcoming Peacock streaming service.
– NBCUniversal’s UCP has inked a first-look deal with iHeartMedia to adapt the company’s podcasts for television. The newly created UCP Audio will also have the option to develop and co-produce original podcasts with the iHeartPodcast Network. UCP Audio’s projects include The End Up, a scripted podcast from Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp, and two unscripted true-crime investigations.
