iHeartPodcasts Sets Multi-Year Deal with Bradley Cooper’s Lea Pictures

Hollywood has been knocking on the door of podcasting for the last few years, and that trend appears to be accelerating. With big-name stars in high-profile fiction podcasts and big-name producers like Brian Grazer's and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment now producing podcasts, announcements of this media synergy have become more frequent and more expected.

So it was no surprise when iHeartMedia announced a new multi-year audio deal between iHeartPodcasts and Lea Pictures, a production company launched by Bradley Cooper in 2020. The collaboration will include several new co-produced shows, including The Good Stuff Podcast, which debuted last month and serves as Lea Pictures’ very first audio project. Cooper will serve as Executive Producer for the entire slate, which will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts.

The Good Stuff Podcast, the first project in the new slate, is a weekly show that delves into inspiring stories of success and perseverance. Hosted by Jacob Schick, Chief Executive Officer for One Tribe Foundation and a third-generation Marine, and his wife Ashley Schick, a two-time Emmy Award winning-storyteller, the two will showcase individuals who have made a positive impact through their acts of kindness, successful careers, businesses and military service. Listeners can check out the series now and new episodes will post each Tuesday.

“Sharing stories that inspire, motivate and resonate is one of the reasons I started Lea Pictures, and I’m excited to team up with iHeartPodcasts to bring them to life for millions of listeners,” said Bradley Cooper, founder of Lea Pictures. “Our shows will feature real people telling real stories, and we knew iHeart was the perfect partner to reach as many people as possible. I look forward to dreaming up more extraordinary stories together.”

“Bradley is one of the great creators of our time, inventing and reinventing, again and again, how great stories are told – across multiple genres and formats. We could not be more proud and excited to introduce his expertise, vision and approach to the exploding podcast medium with this partnership,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Audio Group. “At the end of the day, podcasting is all about a deep, meaningful connection – between a host and their audience, and the audience and the story. And iHeartPodcasts is uniquely positioned to reach mass audiences that will deeply resonate with these thoughtful, uplifting stories.”

Building off the critical and financial success of his producorial work on the Oscar-nominated films “Nightmare Alley,” “A Star is Born,” “American Sniper,” and “Joker,” Bradley Cooper formed Lea Pictures in 2020 to develop and produce commercially entertaining and transformational feature films, television, documentary films and digital content. Lea Pictures executives include Weston Middleton who heads up the film division and has worked with Cooper for the past 15 years, Kristen Barnett who joined in 2022 to run the television division and Anneliese Barron in the social impact space heading up Cooper’s One Family Foundation.

Cooper’s first feature film under Lea Pictures, “Maestro” will be released by Netflix this Fall. Cooper produced, co-wrote, directed and will star in the film. With a first-look film deal at Netflix and a first-look television deal at Apple TV+, Bradley Cooper’s Lea Pictures slate currently includes Netflix’s feature film “Maestro;” Searchlights’ “Is This Thing On,” which Cooper will also direct; Warner Bros’ “Bullitt and Hyperion;” and The History Channel’s six-hour miniseries, “FDR” which premiered this summer on A&E.

The Good Stuff Podcast will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.