In November 2018, the world’s largest community based traffic and navigation app joined forces with the nation’s top owner of radio stations to provide “easy access to great tunes and directions.”
Now, Entercom’s Radio.com digital audio app is taking the lead of iHeartRadio by entering into perhaps something even bigger with Waze.
Entercom and Waze are now linked via “a first-of-its-kind multiplatform partnership,” revealed by Entercom President/CEO David Field during his company’s Q1 2019 earnings call with analysts.
The partnership scales across broadcast, digital and streaming with app integrations on both Waze and Radio.com, where all 235 Entercom radio station audio streams are exclusively housed.
The agreement gives Waze drivers the ability to access the full range of Radio.com content through Waze — including podcasts and on-demand audio content. Radio.com playback and discovery controls, including favorite, local, and recently played stations, will also be found directly in the Waze app.
While iHeartRadio stations do include some local news content, some sports play-by-play is blocked based on rights and geotargeting on the app and on Waze. The Radio.com integration, the companies note, marks the first time Waze will offer local sports and news content as part of their in-app experience.
“We’re thrilled to work with Entercom and look forward to leveraging the strategic opportunities within their impressive portfolio of stations,” said Mona Weng, Global Lead of Waze for Broadcasters. “This partnership is particularly impressive as it extends across broadcast, digital and streaming to provide real-time traffic updates and help broadcasters share hyper-local stories with their cities’ listeners. Through the Waze for Broadcasters program and efforts by our partners, we are collectively reducing traffic and working toward solving global mobility issues.”
Radio.com app users will also be able to access their Waze navigation from within that app. In addition, the live Waze traffic map will be integrated into the Radio.com app and web platform.
“This partnership is a strategic move that offers both Waze and RADIO.COM users an enhanced experience,” said J.D. Crowley, Entercom‘s Chief Digital Officer. “We are the fastest-growing digital audio app in the country and we are pleased to join forces with Waze to bring our app and its unmatched content offering to Waze’s large community of drivers.”
Additionally, the partnership will allow Entercom stations to use Waze data to provide enhanced real-time and hyperlocal traffic reporting to listeners — boosting coverage at some key stations as KNX/Los Angeles, WBBM-AM/Chicago and New York News siblings WCBS-AM and WINS.
“Partnering with Waze will allow us to offer more powerful real-time traffic updates to our audience,” said Fred Bennett, Entercom SVP/GM of the company’s Traffic Weather Information Network. “By integrating new technologies into our on-air and digital traffic reporting, we will be able to better serve our communities and continue to offer them the most robust local traffic information they need to plan their day.”
