Magellan AI, an audio advertising analytics platform, announced an expanded partnership with iHeartMedia in April 2026 to bring broadcast radio attribution capabilities to advertisers, extending measurement tools that previously covered only podcasts and streaming audio.
The expanded collaboration enables advertisers to evaluate campaign performance across broadcast radio, podcasts, streaming audio, connected TV, and digital channels within a single measurement framework. Magellan AI will leverage iHeartMedia’s simulcast data—which maps listeners exposed to broadcast radio to measurable outcomes—to deliver attribution reporting exclusively to advertisers working with iHeartMedia. The solution will track full-funnel results including web visits, form fills, leads, and purchases, according to the announcement.
Magellan AI has served as a preferred attribution partner for iHeartMedia across digital media channels since its initial engagement. The expanded partnership represents a natural extension of that relationship into broadcast radio, a historically difficult channel to measure and attribute in the digital-first media landscape. iHeartMedia is the largest audio media company in America, with nine of 10 Americans listening to its broadcast radio stations monthly, according to company data.
“Advertisers want clearer insight into how every channel contributes to outcomes,” said Cameron Hendrix, CEO and Co-Founder of Magellan AI. “Our expanded partnership with iHeartMedia brings broadcast radio into the same attribution framework as digital audio and other media, giving brands a more complete view of campaign performance.” Lainie Fertick, President of iHeartMedia Insights, added: “By combining Magellan AI’s attribution technology with our proprietary in-market simulcast data, we’re providing brands with deeper visibility into how broadcast radio works alongside podcasts, streaming audio, connected TV, and other channels to drive meaningful results.”
For podcast producers and audio professionals, the development signals a broader industry shift toward unified measurement across audio channels. Historically, broadcast radio attribution has lagged behind digital audio measurement, creating blind spots for media buyers allocating budgets across channels. By integrating broadcast radio into a common attribution framework with podcasts and streaming audio, advertisers gain visibility into the interplay between traditional and digital audio channels—potentially reshaping how budgets are allocated across the audio landscape.
The partnership reflects intensifying competition in audio advertising measurement. Magellan AI operates the world’s largest database of podcast advertising data, covering over 60,000 podcasts, and serves both advertisers and publishers seeking to optimize audio ad spending. iHeartMedia, meanwhile, holds significant leverage: it is the largest podcast publisher by download volume according to Podtrac and Triton data, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined. The combination of iHeartMedia’s audience scale and Magellan’s measurement technology creates a formidable offering in an increasingly crowded attribution market.
iHeartMedia’s broadcast radio assets reach a larger U.S. audience than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital-only audio service, according to company statements. The company operates as the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution spanning broadcast, streaming, and podcasts. Magellan AI’s platform enables media planners to conduct competitive intelligence, verify ad placement, and access brand safety tools across all these channels.
For the podcast and audio industry, this partnership underscores the growing importance of cross-channel attribution as advertisers demand clearer ROI from audio spending. As broadcast radio continues to compete with streaming and podcast platforms for advertiser dollars, measurement capabilities that unite traditional and digital audio channels may influence buying decisions. Publishers and networks may face pressure to adopt or develop comparable measurement tools to remain competitive in an increasingly data-driven media marketplace.
Source: Magellan — Read the original article →
