SiriusXM yesterday announced that it has extended its relationship with global superstar Kevin Hart and his entertainment company Hartbeat through a new multi-year deal. Under the agreement, Hartbeat will continue to curate content at the intersection of comedy and culture for Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio (ch. 96), where all programs will exclusively premiere.
Hart will also continue to host his popular podcast, Gold Minds with Kevin Hart, which debuted its new season last night, and featured Kevin in conversation with Ryan Coogler. In addition, Hartbeat will produce a slate of new, talent-led programs, including Love Thang with Punkie Johnson and One Song with Diallo and LUXXURY, hosted by Diallo Riddle and Blake “LUXXURY” Robin. The channel will also be the exclusive home for a never-before-heard stand-up album from the late comedy legend Bernie Mac.
In its third season, Kevin will take his podcast in a newer, bigger direction. While still occasionally hosting comedians, Kevin will now open up his conversations to a broader array of the best minds in entertainment, art, business, and culture, to discuss what it takes to become the gold standard of their industries. In addition to Coogler, upcoming featured guests include Jason Bateman, Neil Burger, Anderson Cooper, Method Man, Stephen A. Smith, Lena Waithe, and more. The newly rebranded Gold Minds with Kevin Hart (formerly Comedy Gold Minds) will continue to exclusively premiere on Laugh Out Loud Radio channel 96 on Wednesday nights at 7pm ET with extended, exclusive content only for SiriusXM subscribers. The podcast version will be widely available the next day.
Fans can click here to catch a sneak preview of Kevin sharing the fun and compelling moments to come on the new season.
“I am so excited to be able to continue working with my SiriusXM family and grow our audience through our existing IP as well as the expansion of Gold Minds and the additions of Punkie, Diallo, and Blake,” said Kevin Hart. “SiriusXM has been a valued relationship of mine and Hartbeat’s for some time and the fact that we were able to launch Gold Minds and now expand the program to include the brightest, boldest, and most impactful voices of our time blows my mind.”
“As we advance our mission to keep the world laughing together, Hartbeat is committed to growing our audio reach through high-impact entertainment that lives at the nexus of comedy and culture,” said Thai Randolph, CEO of Hartbeat. “We are proud to expand our collaboration with SiriusXM and further develop our diverse library of fresh, funny, and dynamic audio content.”
“Over the last five years, Kevin has become a cornerstone of SiriusXM’s comedy programming, and we’re absolutely thrilled to deepen our relationship with Kevin and the whole Hartbeat team,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President and Chief Content Officer. “As they’ve proven time and again, they have their finger on the pulse of the new, exciting, diverse voices in comedy, and our audience has clearly responded. We’re excited to remain Kevin’s audio home as he continues to expand his comedy brand and listenership.”
Later this year, Laugh Out Loud Radio will launch two new regular programs. Punkie Johnson (Saturday Night Live), along with co-host Kimberly “Dicey” Douglas-Madison, will bring her brand of fearless, ruthless, and refreshingly raw comedy to the channel with her new show. Drawing on her personal experiences, Punkie will take calls from listeners and give her honest opinions about their situations, offering tough but fair advice on all matters of the heart.
In addition, comedian Diallo Riddle (Emmy-nominated star and creator of HBO Max’s South Side and IFC’s Sherman’s Showcase) and music producer Blake “LUXXURY” Robin will co-host One Song with Diallo and LUXXURY. Each week they’ll be joined by a special guest to discuss everything there is to know about one hit song, from its origin to its cultural impact and legacy, and all the cool/weird connections in between.
Coming soon, Laugh Out Loud Radio will also exclusively release the late comedian Bernie Mac’s first-ever solo full-length stand-up album. Early in his career, Mac used to watch a VHS tape of his shows in order to review and fine-tune his stand-up. Soon available as a remastered collection, Bernie Mac: Tapes From A King, will provide a unique window into the creative process of a comedy legend. The album was produced by Hartbeat in collaboration with NBW Films and Rhonda R. McCullough, Bernie Mac’s beloved wife of 31 years. The album will be heard exclusively on Laugh Out Loud Radio for one month before being released wide across all streaming platforms.
Under the new deal, comedian Nathaniel “Earthquake” Stroman will also return to the channel for the fifth season of his popular show, Quake’s House. Broadcast live from Los Angeles at 4pm ET / 1pm PT, Quake’s House features the comedian’s unbridled take on pop culture, hot topics, and more, and is regularly joined by his roundtable of celebrity guests and friends.
In addition to the premiere of his podcast Gold Minds on Wednesday evenings, Kevin and The Plastic Cup Boyz – Joey Wells, Will “Spank” Horton and Na’im Lynn, Harry Ratchford, and Wayne Brown – will continue to host Straight From The Hart on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9pm ET on Laugh Out Loud Radio.
