iHeartRadio Growing 'Faster Than Facebook’ Ahead of Launch

iHeartRadio Growing 'Faster Than Facebook’ Ahead of NZ Launch.

Media release – 23 Nov 2102

The highly successful all-in-one digital radio service, iHeartRadio, is registering huge growth and promising big things for New Zealand provider The Radio Network (TRN) and its advertisers in 2013.

iHeartRadio will launch into the New Zealand and Australian markets next year via The Australian Radio Network (ARN) and subsidiary TRN, a joint venture between APN News & Media and Clear Channel International.

Clear Channel International said this week iHeartRadio has now surpassed 135 million downloads and 20 million registered users since its introduction just over a year ago. According to Clear Channel, iHeartRadio's registered users are growing faster than Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, Spotify and Instagram.

TRN CEO, Jane Hastings, said the network was very excited to be bringing the category-leading product to New Zealand audiences. “These new user numbers further illustrate the quality of the product and the power of radio. Clear Channel is reinventing media and entertainment. We know that when we launch iHeartRadio in 2013, we’ll be reshaping the radio market as it exists in NZ.

“This product offers listeners live station streaming for all of our stations as well as US stations,” Hastings explains, “ plus user-created custom stations with more songs, more user control, deeper social integration and more opportunities to discover new music - all in one easy to use, seamless product. It’s an exciting new era for us, for our listeners and for our advertisers.”

With Clear Channel’s statistics showing the iHeartRadio network is now seeing 239 million monthly listeners and over 48 million monthly digital unique visitors, the platform has already proven itself internationally. “The New Zealand market represents a small addition to those numbers,” says Hastings, “but for local audience and for commercial reach for our advertisers, what iHeartRadio offers is unprecedented.”

The iHeartRadio app is available currently in the US on numerous devices ranging from web, mobile and tablets to automotive, TV and gaming devices.

Ends

Background:
• The Radio Network in New Zealand operates the number one national network, Newstalk ZB and has three of the top five national networks – Newstalk ZB, Classic Hits and Coast. Other networks are ZM, Hauraki, Flava and Radio Sport.
• ARN has a dual brand strategy - a MixFM and Classic Hits music stream in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Reaching over 4 million listeners, ARN is one of the leading broadcasters in the commercially important 25 – 54 demographic in Australia.

www.iheartradio.co.nz

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