Stingray has signed a deal with Bell Media to make its radio stations across Canada available digitally through the iHeartRadio digital streaming app.
The deal covers all 67 of Stingray’s stations, including those broadcasting under the classic hits brand Boom, top 40 brand Hot, Q contemporary rock stations, K classic rock stations and country brands New Country and Real Country, as well as stand-alone stations like Z95.3 Vancouver and XL103 Calgary. The stations will continue to stream on their respective websites and through other apps, but will now promote the iHeartRadio Canada app on-air.
“We believe that our radio stations should be available wherever listeners choose to listen,” said Steve Jones, SVP of brands and content at Stingray Radio. “The iHeartRadio Canada platform has proved to be immensely popular and we are thrilled to have Stingray stations join their already exciting lineup of audio options.”
The iHeartRadio app had over 1.8 million Canadian users when it underwent a major update in 2017. Bell Media has not provided current user numbers since, but Dean Rutherford, the company’s director of national sales, claims that the iHeartRadio app reaches more monthly ad-supported users than any other digital music player in Canada, with a user base that continues to grow.
Rutherford adds that the partnership potentially brings “millions” of current Stingray listeners to app, and the company will be rolling out “new advanced advertising capabilities” in the coming weeks.