“It’s been a transformational year,” says Crowd Network

This year has been a year of growth for Crowd Network, and now the audio-on-demand company reflects on the last 12 months:-

Since we launched in 2020, we’ve created a suite of chart-shopping shows, from long-form documentary podcasts to shows fronted by some of the biggest names in sport and showbiz.

2022 has been another fantastic year, with the growth of some of our existing pods and a slate of new signings to the network! Our Crowd People and Crowd Stories divisions have grown rapidly, and we’ve even carved out a brand-new division, Crowd Sports.

Looking back at just a few highlights, our pod with England rugby star Joe Marler, The Joe Marler Show, had a brilliant year. The show sees Joe hang out with everyone from the most fascinating celebrities to prison governors and bomb disposal experts to explore the weirdest, most wonderful parts of our culture.

In April, we gave our first ever live show a go – The Joe Marler Show at the Clapham Grand, London – which sold out in just 10 hours. We’ve since launched a nationwide tour for 2023 and can’t wait to see the show grow further.

2022 also saw the launch of dot com: The Hacking, where host Katie Puckrick deciphers Russian ransomware, mapping out the key hacking groups and delving into the impact on everyday people’s lives, across the globe.

New to the network in 2022 was Eliza – a sci-fi fictional drama that explores themes of love, abuse and control through the lens of a sentient robot named Eliza. The podcast was produced in partnership with The Pankhurst Trust / Manchester Women’s Aid, and stars Sex Education’s Tanya Reynolds and Doctor Who’s Arthur Darvill.

Having only launched last January, it’s fair to say that Go Love Yourself has also had a whirlwind year. Go Love Yourself, which is presented by GBBO finalist Laura Adlington and her best friend, Lauren Smith, aims to empower people to feel good about themselves and their bodies.

Now in its second series, the podcast tackles topics such as body image, confidence, and all things self-love. The pod is due to have a special spotlight placed on it by Apple Podcasts next month. The spotlight will see Go Love Yourself feature prominently across Apple Podcasts, including special features on the homepage, as well as across various collections on the browse pages.

Podcasts, whilst entertaining, can help to spread incredibly important messages and Laura and Lauren have built such a strong community around them – we can’t wait to see what else is in store in the new year.

One of our biggest highlights of the year was launching our brand-new division, Crowd Sports. It brings together the talents of Tour de France champion and double Olympic gold medallist Geraint Thomas (The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club); former world boxing champion George Groves (The George Groves Boxing Club) and Tour-winning golfing folk-hero Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston (Beef’s Golf Club), with more big-name launches including rugby star and former Wales captain Sam Warburton to follow in early 2023.

We’re passionate about creating real partnerships with our stars, giving them shared ownership of a brand that can become a central component in their commercial success both during their sporting careers and afterwards.

So, where to next? Moving into 2023, our The Secret History podcast is returning for a second series, following the success of its first run that reached the top of Apple’s True Crime charts. This time it is investigating the Estonia – a passenger ferry that sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994, claiming 852 lives.

The Secret History of the Estonia, set to launch in January 2023, investigates the murky truth behind the Estonia’s sinking, uncovering an unforgettable tale of spies, a missing sea captain, smuggled military equipment, Interpol and a Cold War that never ended.

We have even more thrilling shows in the pipeline for 2023 and beyond, to join the likes of The Secret History of the Estonia – watch this space!

It’s been a transformational year to say the least. We can’t wait to move into the new year continuing to make audio with some of the greatest talent in the industry, that makes our audiences feel part of something bigger than themselves.