Former BBC Sport creative lead joins to develop Crowd Sports

Rob Roberts-Facey Crowd Network Sports

Crowd Network has appointed former BBC Sport creative lead Rob Roberts-Facey as a senior producer, with the aim of creating a sport division.

Roberts-Facey will work alongside Crowd creative director Tom Fordyce to develop Crowd Sports, which will take advantage of current Crowd podcasts such as The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club and The Joe Marler Show. The new division will see this slate of content expanded, with further high profile stars expected to join later this year. 

Roberts-Facey spent over eleven years at the BBC, and had been creative lead since January 2019. Before he had been a producer and assistant producer, and he worked on high profile events such as the Olympics and World Cup in that time.

Crowd Sports will join other Crowd divisions, investigative and documentary section Crowd Stories and entertainment focused Crowd People. It launched in 2020, and since then has seen its team grow from four to 18 in that time, with more hires expected. 

Mike Carr, CEO of Crowd Network, said: “It’s fantastic to have Rob on board, given his experience in leading productions for some of the biggest global sporting events and shows. It stands him in good stead as we look to grow our sports podcast offering, work with more brilliant names and brands in sport, and continue to develop original shows that listeners truly connect with.

“As we expand the shows, talent and brands that we work with, we’re focused on having the right people in the team to support this, who have the drive and energy to push us forward. Rob in particular will be vital to developing our sports specialism, alongside Tom, as we look to officially launch Crowd Sports next year. I’m excited to welcome him into the team.”

Roberts-Facey added: “Having watched Crowd go from strength to strength over the last two years, I am thrilled to be part of the team. Its productions are quality, and the focus on connecting listeners with the shows, hosts and people behind the podcasts is something I’ve always admired. To be able to play a part in this and work closely alongside Tom and the team again, is brilliant. We have so much scope to grow – from the names we work with, to the podcasts we bring to listeners – and I am incredibly excited to help take Crowd Sports to the next level.”