Two leading North American media giants, America’s iHeartMedia and Canada’s Bell Media, have signed an exclusive partnership to bring iHeartRadio’s free digital radio and music streaming service to Canada. The deal will encompass everything from live and televised events to content on car dashboards, handheld devices and consumer electronics, putting Bell Media ahead of its direct media competitors in Canada which have more traditional leanings.
iHeartRadio -- a leading U.S. digital radio service, with 75 million users registered since its launch in 2011 -- expanded into Australia and New Zealand in 2013 and is expected to be fully operational in Canada by the summer.
The service will showcase content -- music, news, sports, and other “relevant and customized” programming -- from Bell Media, including 106 terrestrial radio stations.
iHeartRadio will offer all of Bell Media’s broadcast and digital-only radio stations across mobile, auto dashes, tablets and smartphones, gaming consoles, wearables and more. The partnership will also bring iHeartRadio-branded events to Canada.
http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6835261/iheartmedia-digital-canada-patnership-bell-media