Malcolm Gladwell -- the father of pop culture aphorisms -- was finally vindicated about one of those slogans that sell books. Women's sports have reached that tipping point. It wasn't just Caitlin Clark, although she may have nudged women's sports past the point of no return. It was the U.S. Women's Olympic soccer team, Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, Sydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix, Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, and even Title IX with the millions of female student athletes who compete in everything from softball, field hockey, wrestling, hockey, and weightlifting.
While the networks and streaming have been cautious about covering women's sports, podcasting has been aggressively programming sports shows with female hosts, often covering only women's sports.
It's heartening to see iHeart take such a leadership role here. Last week, in fact, iHeartMedia announced the latest podcast programming for iHeart Women’s Sports.
Eight
new shows will launch on the network in early 2025 featuring renowned
female athletes like Ashlyn Harris, Mel Reid, Lexie Brown and more. iHeart says: "The new, expanded lineup further emphasizes iHeartMedia’s commitment to
bringing equitable media coverage to women’s sports."
Founded in June 2024 by iHeartMedia and Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, iHeart Women’s Sports is the first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to amplifying women’s sports. As a free, ad-supported network available across iHeartMedia’s platforms, it addresses the rising interest in women’s sports coverage. Following remarkable gains in listenership and demand for new content in 2024, 2025 shows similar promise, with growth and expansion top of mind for leagues and investors alike. The new programming slate shows how iHeartMedia is continuing to drive the industry forward through dedicated investment and platforms for a wide variety of women's sports content and voices.
“We launched iHeart
Women’s Sports last year to provide the type of women’s sports coverage
that fans have long been wanting,” said Jessie Katz, Head of iHeart
Women’s Sports. “The latest programming further
builds on the media industry’s most consistent, authentic network for
news and commentary about women’s sports, and we’re proud to continue to
be a leader in women’s sports content, elevating the invaluable voices
of women athletes and sports fans through
our platform.”
Best-in-class talent and shows coming to iHeart Women’s Sports in early 2025 include:
Throttle Therapy with Katherine Legge:” Join motorsport pioneer Katherine Legge as she gears up to make history this season, competing in some of the world’s toughest racing events in a quest to have one of the most memorable careers in racing. She’s bringing listeners inside stories with legends of sports, new faces from the next generation of auto racing, and conversations with the people who’ve supported her throughout her career as a pro athlete. She’s driven just about anything with four wheels, so she’ll be getting into everything from karting to NASCAR and IndyCar to F1. Listeners can hop into Katherine’s passenger seat now, HERE.
Welcome to the Par-tee with Tisha Alyn: Join the Par-tee and hear all the “tee” on women’s golf. Social media star and golf trailblazer Tisha Alynwill dish out expert tips that will help improve her listeners’ game, interview top players on the LPGA tour, sit down for conversation with celebrity superfans and have a lot of fun on and off the course. Whether listeners are seasoned pros or just getting into the swing of things, this par-tee is one they can’t miss! The first episode was made available on January 15.
Full Circle with Lexie Brown and Mariah Rose: Get the complete roundup of the latest news on and off the basketball court with Lexie Brown, guard for the Los Angeles Sparks, and Mariah Rose, digital content creator behind @hoopsforhotties. Fans will sit down with the duo as they dive into how interest in the WNBA this season caught the league off guard, their college and overseas basketball experience, and day-to-day news around the league. Plus, fans will get all the news during the off-season as Lexie plays in Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled. Both hosts will bring unique perspectives to the show, with Lexie sharing her experiences as a professional athlete and Mariah providing insightful analysis and commentary. Listeners can tune in starting January 22.
Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris: Join world-renowned soccer player Ashlyn Harris as she steps off the field and invites listeners into a space to discover how being “wide open”—both in sports and in life—will spark connection and inspire growth both personally and professionally. Harris will sit down with influential voices from sports, entertainment, politics, fashion and music to explore the defining moments that cracked them “wide open,” challenging them to embrace their true selves and push beyond their limits. (And yes, there’s plenty of joy along the way!) Wide Open will bring unfiltered stories of grit, transformation, and, most importantly, authenticity. Fans can tune in for a thoughtful and inspiring journey starting January 27.
Quiet Please! with Mel Reid and Kira Dixon: Golf is often life’s cheat code and it’s not just for the dads, Brads and Chads. LPGA champion Mel Reid and star broadcaster Kira Dixon are the golf girlies new destination for the game with spicy takes, industry happenings and conversations with your favorite celebrities, athletes, business leaders, creators and artists who have figured out how to use golf as a superpower. We're done being quiet. Available beginning February 12.
Courtside with Laura Correnti: A
new podcast on the business of women’s sports hosted by ad industry
veteran and Deep Blue Sports
+ Entertainment’s Founder & CEO, Laura Correnti. “Courtside” will
delve deep into the dynamic world of women's sports, exploring the key
business drivers, challenges and opportunities shaping the industry's
future. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews
with guests including league executives and team owners; coaches and
athletes; and industry experts and influencers as they go beyond the
scoreboard, providing listeners with an up close view to the business of
women's sports and the key factors driving its
growth. “Courtside with Laura Correnti” will debut March 2025.
Hasta Abajo with Melissa Ortiz and Camila Ramón: Former
pro soccer player and Olympian, Melissa Ortiz, will team up with
bilingual
fitness professional and Latin music advocate, Camila Ramón, to bring
an honest and empowering take on life as Latina athletes and
entrepreneurs. From mental health, body image and the pressure of
failure to the power of mindset, music as therapy and the realities
of Latinidad, Meli and Cami will dive deep into their journeys.
Featuring special guests from entrepreneurs, influencers, inspiring
artists and fellow athletes, they will spark real-life conversations
while embracing their identities as two Latinas in sports,
fitness and media. Grab your cafecito, vibe to their Latin music
recommendations and join this uplifting duo starting late March 2025
Softball Podcast with AJ Andrews (working title): Hosted by AJ Andrews,
professional softball player and the first
woman to ever win a Gold Glove Award, this podcast will cover all the
latest happenings in pro softball and spotlight interviews with the
biggest names in softball, baseball and more. This podcast is in
collaboration with the Athletes Unlimited Softball
League (AUSL) and is set to launch in late March 2025.
Capital One, e.l.f. Cosmetics,
and e.l.f. Skin are founding partners.
The network
has also provided several in-person podcasting events to further
elevate and celebrate the excitement around women’s sports, from the
Cannes Lions Festival, to the Fanatics Sports Summit,
to the Billie Jean King Cup and the NWSL Championship. All of these
events and partnerships allow iHeartMedia to serve as a catalyst for
other media players to increase access to women’s sports content and
level the playing field.
In addition to this new slate of shows, the network is also home to podcasts that focus on women in sports, including Good Game with Sarah Spain, In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams, Levels to This with Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby, The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast and more. Additional shows, confirmed launch dates, and new talent and partnerships will continue to be announced in 2025.
To find all of iHeart Women’s Sports coverage, please visit iHeart Women's Sports Podcasts.
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