Crowd Network launches sport podcasts division

Crowd Network has announced the official launch of Crowd Sports, a sport podcasts division. .

Tour de France and double Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Geraint Thomas, former world boxing champion George Groves, and Tour-winning golfing folk-hero Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston have all launched podcasts with the division, with more sports people expected to do the same in early 2023.

Crowd also makes the Joe Marler Show with the England rugby union international.

Crowd Sports is led by Tom Fordyce, creative director at Crowd and former chief sports writer at the BBC, and Rob Roberts-Facey, who joined Crowd as head of sport after being BBC Sport creative lead earlier this year. The pair spoke to Broadcast Sport about their approach to podcasts and the upcoming sports division earlier this month. 

Crowd Sports joins Crowd People, which creates personality-driven podcasts, and Crowd Stories, which creates investigative series.

Fordyce said: “We love making sports pods, and we believe we’re leading the way in this competitive sector. It’s not just the sporting achievements of the sporting talent we work with, but how relatable they are to our listeners – and also what they want to do together. Crowd Sports means a Tour de France champion, world champion boxer and elite golfer are all part of the same team, creating shows and communities around them that are long-term projects and brands. We’re looking forward to announcing our next raft of shows and stars to Crowd Sports in the new year.”

Roberts-Facey added: “We’re seeing more and more that creators want ownership of their content, and I think that is a big part of why Crowd is such an attractive proposition to those in the industry. We focus on building shows that creators and fans can connect with, giving a proper say in the development of the show and the community that springs out of it. Ultimately, we are providing a platform that talent can develop their brands through, and reach new audiences. The launch of a dedicated sports division will enable us to push our work in the industry forward even further, and I’m excited for this next step on Crowd’s journey.”