iHeartRadio Now Available in Canada: Free Streaming Service Brings Canadians Biggest and Best Music Experience

– Instant access to hundreds of Canada's favourite radio stations and digital streaming channels with unmatched variety: an unprecedented array of music options to suit every taste, plus talk, sports, and comedy –
– Bell Media continues to expand the iHeartRadio brand across Canada, adopting its wildly successful live events series including the first iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball coming to Toronto's Air Canada Centre, November 25 –

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TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2016 /CNW/ - Bell Media announced today that North America's fastest growing digital audio service iHeartRadio is now available in Canada during a special preview period, before its official launch on Monday, Oct. 10. Featuring streaming channels and sought-after music events, the digital radio service is absolutely free to Canadians via iOS and Android apps, and at iHeartRadio.ca. With instant access to hundreds of stations including listener favourites like Virgin Radio, TSN Radio, Newstalk stations, and many more, the new and easy-to-use iHeartRadio Canada digital service showcases an unparalleled amount of music, news/talk, comedy, and sports content from Bell Media, Canada's largest radio broadcaster with 105 licensed English and French radio stations, plus more than 100 additional curated streaming music channels to suit every taste… with many more announcements to come.

"iHeartRadio Canada harnesses the strength of Bell Media's radio stations in addition to more than 100 exclusive, curated digital music stations, placing them all conveniently at the fingertips of every Canadian," said Randy Lennox, President, Broadcasting and Content, Bell Media. "iHeartRadio is an enormously successful brand that will represent Bell Media's radio strategy in Canada, in many incarnations, including must-see live concerts, events, and more."

"The iHeartRadio Canada brand offers consumers exclusive content from favourite music artists they can't get anywhere else – from exclusive album sneak previews and secret sessions for fans, to exclusive interviews and live performances," said Rob Farina, Sr. Advisor, iHeartRadio Canada. "The iHeartRadio Canada app and desktop player delivering the best music, sports, talk, and more can be simply searched and customized by the user to easily move between stations and genres based on their moods, and set favourites to match their preferences."

iHeartRadio Canada also announced today the inaugural iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball, with a can't-miss lineup for all music fans featuring superstars The Weeknd, The Chainsmokers, Alessia Cara, Hedley, and many more. With additional Canadian concerts soon to be announced - ranging from big arenas to smaller, more intimate venues - the 2016 iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball takes place Friday, Nov. 25 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. Virgin Mobile customers get a front-of-line ticket purchase opportunity on October 8 and 9, with the public on-sale for the event of the season beginning Tuesday, Oct. 11. As part of the iHeartRadio family, registered users of iHeartRadio Canada will automatically get first crack at winning tickets to this and all iHeartRadio events in, both Canada and the U.S.

The iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball joins the tradition of iHeatRadio's iconic festivals and concerts, consistently offering one-of-a-kind experiences, like last month's 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival that rocked Las Vegas. In a Canadian exclusive, the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival featuring performances by U2, Sia, Sting, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, OneRepublic, and many more will air in a two-night special broadcast tonight, Thursday, Oct. 6, and tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 7 at 8-11 p.m. ET on CTV Two. Following the television broadcasts, highlights from the three-day festival will be available on iHeartRadio.ca.

Built for Bell Media by Mirego, iHeartRadio's Canadian streaming service can be integrated into many platform devices including mobile phones, tablets, computers, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, turning any place into a performance space. There is no service fee or limit to the number of devices connected to a user account (standard data charges apply, where applicable).

As announced earlier this year, Bell Media entered into an exclusive partnership with iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, making the iHeart brand available for Canadians for the first time. Since then, Bell Media announced a series of brand event, including the newly minted iHeartRadio Canada Fest, formerly known as CHUM FM FanFest. Most recently, iHeartRadio Canada TOP 20 hosted by iHeartRadio's English Canada Ambassador Andrea Collins, and DÉCOMPTE iHeartRadio Canada, hosted by the French Canada Ambassador for the brand, Patrick Langlois, were launched in September, 2016. Many more exciting concerts and brand developments will be announced in 2017.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter: #iHeartRadioCA @BellMediaPR @iHeartRadioCA   Instagram: BellMediaPR iHeartRadioCA

Facebook: Bell Media iHeartRadio Canada

About iHeartRadio Canada
iHeartRadio, a best-in-class customizable digital listening experience and live events brand, is now in Canada through a partnership between Bell Media and iHeartMedia. A leader in innovative radio programming throughout Canada, Bell Media features the country's most dynamic, popular, and respected radio brands, including Toronto's CHUM FM, Canada's #1 FM station, and the ÉNERGIE group in Québec, as well as international brands like Virgin Radio. In the U.S., iHeartRadio has surpassed 90 million registered users, reaching milestones at a rate faster than Facebook or any other streaming music service. In addition, iHeartRadio's registered user milestone does not account for the millions of listeners who tune into iHeartRadio's live radio streams without registering.

About Bell Media
Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada's leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's highest-rated television network; 30 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada's most-watched specialty channels in English and French; and four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with internationally renowned brand and streaming service iHeartRadio Canada as well as 105 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across the country. Bell Media owns Astral Out of Home with a network of more than 30,000 advertising faces in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites; delivers TV Everywhere with its CraveTV and GO video streaming services; operates multi-channel network Much Digital Studios; produces live theatrical shows via its partnership with Iconic Entertainment Studios; is partners in Cirque du Soleil Media; and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.

SOURCE iHeart Radio

For further information: Renee Dupuis, Bell Media, 416.384.3154, [e-mail]; or Patricia Garcia, Bell Media, 416.384.2645, [e-mail]