HOT 97 Celebrates Success of the 31st Annual Summer Jam

HOT 97 (WQHT), the world’s premier destination for hip hop culture and music, is proud to celebrate the resounding success of the 31st Annual Summer Jam, which took place on Friday, June 20, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

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From the Who’s Next Festival Stage in the afternoon to a sold-out evening inside the arena, Summer Jam 2025 brought out the culture’s biggest stars and brightest newcomers. With over 15,000 fans in attendance, the stacked main stage lineup featured A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Gunna, GloRilla, Muni Long, Asake, Ayra Starr, Ja Rule and Friends, and more, delivering unforgettable performances. The 32nd Annual Summer Jam is scheduled to return in June 2026, promising to be even bigger.

“Summer Jam 2025 was a smash hit and as part of our partnership with Afro-urban media powerhouse Trace, HOT 97 brought a new voice to the main stage with three standout African artists—underscoring the global rise of Afrobeats and reinforcing HOT 97’s position as a cultural leader in music,” said Kudjo Sogadzi, EVP, HOT 97. “With this momentum, HOT 97 is already looking ahead to Winter Fest this December in Brooklyn and an even bigger and bolder Summer Jam in 2026.”

HOT 97’s digital platforms played a key role in amplifying the event’s reach far beyond the arena. The station’s unique HOT97 app and all major social media channels streamed a live special, Summer Jam Backstage with Miabelle, featuring real-time coverage, behind-the-scenes exclusives, and artist interviews, resulting in record-breaking engagement. Social engagement was up by over 1,000% reaching over 38 million users worldwide and on the HOT 97 web and app platform unique visitors were up nearly 80% over prior year.

“We’re creating a new era of Summer Jam that lives across every screen,” said Jim Carr, SVP of Digital Product & Innovation for MediaCo. “From livestreams on Twitch and exclusive YouTube drops to viral TikTok moments and interactive backstage chats with artists, we’re connecting hip hop fans everywhere—not just in the seats, but in their feeds.”

Between sets, fans were also treated to a sneak peek of the upcoming release of HOT 97 TV, a brand-new Connected TV platform designed for fans of hip hop, R&B, Afrobeats, and all things music, lifestyle, and culture. The growth and success of video content has led to the launch of HOT 97 TV FAST Channel this summer.

“We have seen so much engagement with our social and streaming video content that we are going even bigger with Connected TV video and launching the Hot 97 TV FAST Channel this summer, “said MediaCo Chief Operating Officer René Santaella. “HOT 97 fans are telling us they want more and HOT 97 TV will be the place where Hip Hop and Afro culture live 24/7 with real stories, music, entertainment programming and live events.”

ABOUT HOT 97 & MEDIACO

HOT 97 parent company MediaCo Holding Inc. (Nasdaq: MDIA) is a diverse-owned, diverse-targeted media business. MediaCo stands at the forefront of entertainment and news, uniquely positioned as a leader in reaching multicultural audiences. Through its diverse portfolio of digital, television and radio properties including EstrellaTV, Estrella News, HOT 97, WBLS and Que Buena LA, MediaCo engages over 20 million people every month, delivering a dynamic mix of free, ad-supported streaming and terrestrial entertainment, music, and news across all major media platforms and on all devices.

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