Netflix is quietly building a playbook to challenge YouTube’s dominance in video podcasting, and its next move may be a licensing deal with iHeartMedia.
Sources say Netflix is in active talks with iHeart to secure exclusive video rights to some of its most popular podcasts, including The Breakfast Club, Las Culturistas, Jay Shetty Podcast, and Stuff You Should Know. If the deal closes, full video episodes would stop appearing on YouTube and be redirected to Netflix instead. Not all iHeart podcasts are guaranteed to make the jump, but the intent is clear: Netflix wants to peel audiences away from YouTube and into its own walled garden.
This follows Netflix’s recent agreement with Spotify, which will bring The Bill Simmons Podcast exclusively to Netflix starting in 2026. Full episodes will also be removed from YouTube. However, that deal was selective. The Joe Rogan Experience, one of Spotify’s biggest titles, will stay on YouTube, where it has over 20 million subscribers.
There is a clear trend forming. Tubi, owned by Fox Corp., recently struck a deal with Crime Junkie host Ashley Flowers, bringing her Audiochuck network to the platform with a dedicated channel. Streamers are now seeing podcasts, especially in video form, as a way to compete with YouTube. According to Edison Research, 77% of new podcast listeners now consume podcasts via video. YouTube alone draws over a billion podcast views each month.
But pulling podcasts off YouTube is a gamble. Podcasters still make most of their money through advertising, and YouTube remains the largest source of audience and reach. Leaving could mean a short-term financial hit. On the other hand, Netflix could offer new exposure, stronger branding, and potentially better monetization through licensing or co-production deals.
Shares of iHeartMedia surged in extended trading, nearly doubling at one point. Neither company has commented publicly, but Netflix is clearly positioning itself as a serious player in the podcast space. With more deals like this, it is signaling that video podcasts are no longer just content; they are strategic IP.
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