April 24, 2026 at 9:15 pm SiriusXM is in early-stage discussions to acquire iHeartMedia, a deal that would create an audio giant with a foothold in traditional and satellite radio and podcasts, two people familiar with the discussions said Friday. Should a deal come to fruition, it would be the culmination of years of speculation about a tie-up. Liberty SiriusXM Group, an affiliate of John Malone’s media empire, formerly held significant stakes in both companies. But it eventually sold its stake in iHeartMedia, primarily a broadcast radio company, and split off its ownership of SiriusXM, the satellite radio company, into a separate entity. The talks are still in their early stages and may not result in a deal, the people said, requesting anonymity because the conversations are confidential. SiriusXM and iHeartMedia declined to comment. Bloomberg News reported the discussions earlier. Both companies primarily make their money in traditional broadcast radio and satellite subscriptions.…