iHeartMedia Named One of The Most Influential Media and Communications Companies of 2026 on TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders List

Today, TIME revealed the inaugural TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders list – and iHeartMedia is honored to be named one of the 10 Most Influential Media and Communications Companies of 2026!

The TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders is a new shortlist for the annual TIME100 Most Influential Companies list, highlighting 200 companies making an extraordinary impact in their industries. iHeart has been recognized for our industry-leading broadcast radio reach, highlighting the unique edge that brings to our platforms. 

The feature includes the following blurb written by contributor Alex Stone:

In an attention economy where every company struggles with discovery, iHeartMedia has an edge no digital-native platform can match—more than 860 radio stations reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. That broadcast footprint, often dismissed as a dying asset, has become the promotional engine behind the country's biggest podcast operation: 157 million monthly downloads (the most of any U.S. podcast network, according to Podtrac and Triton) and roughly $564 million in podcast revenue in 2025, up 26% from 2024. The rest of the industry has taken notice. In November 2025, TikTok partnered with iHeart to launch a creator podcast network and national radio channel; in December, Netflix signed an exclusive deal to stream video versions of more than 15 iHeart shows, including The Breakfast Club and My Favorite Murder. CEO Bob Pittman, who led the team that created MTV, frames the logic simply. "If Netflix is really TV on demand, then podcasting is radio on demand," he says. "Our secret weapon is we've got broadcast radio, which reaches everybody in America." 

TIME assembled these lists by soliciting nominations across sectors, and polling its global network of contributors and correspondents, as well as outside experts. TIME editors then evaluated each on key factors including impact, innovation, ambition and success. The result is a diverse group of 200 companies shaping global business, one industry at a time. 

Click here to see the full list.