Disney+ and Hulu announced Monday that they’re adding video versions of six iHeartPodcasts shows to their streaming libraries, kicking off Aug. 14 with the Jonas Brothers’ “Hey Jonas!”
“Fans can’t get enough of the stories and talent they love, and podcasts have become one of the fastest growing ways for audiences to connect with them,” said Lauren Tempest, Head of Content Planning & Partnerships, DTC at The Walt Disney Company.
For Movieguide® readers, the timing carries a nice bit of history. Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas grew up the sons of a musician-minister father, and their brand of clean, family-first entertainment has anchored Disney Channel hits since CAMP ROCK first premiered — a legacy Movieguide® noted just last week while previewing CAMP ROCK 3, which lands on Disney+ the same day as “Hey Jonas!”
That overlap is no accident. The podcast’s Disney+ and Hulu debut leads with an episode about CAMP ROCK, and Kevin, Joe and Nick will tape further installments live from D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event that same weekend, the companies said.
Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO for iHeartMedia, framed the deal as podcasting’s next natural step.
Related: CAMP ROCK 3 Bets a New Generation Still Wants Wholesome Fun
“Disney+ and Hulu have built powerful streaming destinations with incredibly passionate fan communities, making them ideal partners to expand the reach of these beloved iHeartPodcasts,” Pittman said, calling it a way for “existing listeners and new viewers” to discover podcasting’s biggest voices through video.
Five more shows follow “Hey Jonas!” into the two libraries over the coming months. BOY MEETS WORLD alums Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong bring their rewatch podcast “Pod Meets World” to Disney+ on Aug. 24, continuing a 30-year friendship that’s already logged more than 55 million audio downloads, according to the announcement.
Hulu picks up the rest. Teri Hatcher reunites with her DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES daughter Andrea Bowen, plus her real-life daughter Emerson Tenney, for the rewatch podcast “Desperately Devoted” starting Nov. 2, while SCRUBS co-stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison launch “Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald” this fall.
Parents should know that last one comes with a caveat. Movieguide®’s own review of the SCRUBS revival flagged light profanity, crude humor and sexual innuendo alongside its “heartwarming and redemptive moments,” landing it an extreme caution rating for anyone younger than a mature teen — worth remembering before letting the whole family tune into the companion podcast, too.
Comedians George Civeris and Sam Taggart round out the fall slate with “StraightioLab,” and Saturday Night Live alum Ego Nwodim brings her father-daughter conversation series “Thanks Dad,” both also headed to Hulu.
The six new titles join an already sizable podcast shelf on both services, including companion shows for AMERICAN IDOL and DANCING WITH THE STARS and rewatch podcasts built around FX series like THE SHARDS. Every new episode across the slate streams weekly, the companies confirmed, a cadence Disney and iHeartMedia are betting will turn casual listeners into regular viewers.
Movieguide® will keep an eye on how these video podcasts handle their content once cameras start rolling — audio banter reads differently once you can see it. For now, families curious about “Hey Jonas!” can catch the first episode Friday, right alongside CAMP ROCK 3’s Disney+ premiere.
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