Crowd Network has teamed up with Sport Social Podcast Network (Sport Social) to connect Crowd’s most popular shows to Sport Social’s growing library of sports podcasts.
As part of the agreement, The Joe Marler Show (TJMS) and Geraint Thomas Cycling Club (GTCC) will officially join the network from 30 May. Crowd will continue to produce both shows, with Sport Social supporting commercialisation of the podcasts.
With a combined monthly listenership of just under 500,000, TJMS and GTCC have been runaway successes since they launched in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
TJMS, fronted by rugby star Joe Marler and Crowd Creative Director Tom Fordyce, sees the pair meet with a different guest each week to delve into often weird and wacky livelihoods –including clowns, pirates and opera singers. The podcast’s first ever live show, in September, recently sold out in ten hours after overwhelming demand from its growing listener community.
GTCC, co-hosted by Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas and Fordyce, set out with a simple mission to build the world’s biggest cycling club. Now counting over 8,000 members as part of the team, the club regularly meets for in-person rides, making it the largest club in the world.
Sport Social, launched in February 2021, currently counts some of the most popular sports podcasts globally as part of its network, including Football Social Daily and Wisden Cricket Weekly. It helps shows to grow their audience, whether developing content or exploring monetisation. The organization also works closely with the biggest sporting brands to connect them with fans, with a particular focus on men aged 18 – 44 – where the network has a reach of 90%.
Jim Salveson, Head of Sports Social Podcast Network, commented: “Joe Marler and Geraint Thomas are some of the most famous faces in their respective sports, and it’s a real coup to have them join Sports Social.
“Crowd Network has built a brilliant community of listeners around these shows, and we’re excited to work closely with the team to expand it further. There’s vast commercial potential, and there’s also real authenticity in Joe and Geraint’s delivery. We’ll be focused on making sure this is reflected at every stage, whether that’s in the brand partnerships we explore, or the ways we can engage listeners.”
Mike Carr, CEO of Crowd Network, added: “The response we get from listeners on TJMS and GTCC is incredible, and it’s reflected in how quickly they’ve grown. We’ve been exploring different ways we can bring the pods to life – whether it’s live shows, merchandise – and finding the right commercial partner has been part of that. Sport Social is the perfect match. They’re leaders in sports podcasting, and have the expertise and the network of brands to really accelerate our shows.”
