London, 3rd October — Leading podcast production company, Listen is proud to announce the appointment of Emma Williams as Director of Marketing and Partnerships, a newly formed role that will see her lead the company’s commercial and growth strategy across their award-winning visualised slate, expanding originals and Labs, its marketing and consultancy division.

Emma brings 15 years of PR and media expertise, including a standout three-year stint at The Diary of a CEO, where she was involved from its startup phase. She played a pivotal role in the podcast’s rapid growth, securing extensive press coverage and booking major guests such as Stephen Fry, Lewis Capaldi, and Louis Theroux. Emma also expanded the podcast’s distribution to 14 airlines, including BA, Emirates, and Jet Blue, and launched the first video podcast fast channel on Samsung TV Plus across the UK, Germany, Austria, and The Netherlands. Additionally, she worked on the USA chart-topping podcast, Modern Wisdom, hosted by Chris Williamson, securing high-profile guests and new distribution opportunities to broaden the show’s reach and impact.

At Listen, Emma will enhance and grow the existing podcast slate, while driving fresh creative and commercial opportunities for talent-led original podcasts. Through Listen Labs, she will enhance and grow the premier podcast consultancy, trusted by top brands like Netflix, The Telegraph, and SheerLuxe. Emma brings her exceptional partnership expertise, having driven innovative collaborations with leading brands including WHOOP, The Financial Times, and Mercedes.

Josh Adley, Managing Director at Listen, says: “Emma joins us at a hugely exciting time for the company, 2024 has been our most widely recognised and commercially successful year to date. As we move into the next phase of Listen’s growth, Emma’s unrivalled experience of building global podcast brands and securing flagship commercial deals will add significant value to Listen’s shows. The insight she will bring to Listen Labs will be invaluable to our clients.”

Emma Williams adds: “With its reputation as a leader in visualised podcasts, I’m incredibly excited to be joining Listen at such a pivotal time. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the team and contributing to the ongoing success and growth of its exceptional diverse podcast slate and beyond!”

The Listen team have never been busier, with the recent launch of M&S’s Proper Tasty Pub Quiz, hosted by chef Tom Kerridge and broadcaster Chris Stark, a new season of The Traitors: Uncloaked confirmed, and a continued focus on the third series of Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right, following its British Podcast Award win last week. Plus, Rylan and Scott Mills continue to bring their signature charm and wit to new BBC visualised podcast, Pop Top 10, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey through pop culture.

BBC Studios Audio and Folding Pocket announce two new spinoffs of hit show Football’s Greatest starring Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Paul Merson and Jeff Stelling.

Great teams are built on great partnerships, which is why Platform Media’s original podcast label Folding Pocket and BBC Studios Audio are teaming up for a dynamic summer with two spin-off series from Football’s Greatest podcast.

Football’s Greatest: Euros is an adaptation of Jeff Stelling’s hugely popular Football’s Greatest series, which unapologetically turns its attention towards the Euros for the next six weeks.

Jeff is joined in the studio by his good friend and England and Arsenal legend Paul Merson to follow England and Scotland’s fortunes (or failures) in Germany, and to relive some of unforgettable moments from tournaments past.

The ten-part series starts on 12th June and brings audiences the same blend of nostalgia, knowledge and colourful observations that are the hallmark of the Football’s Greatest series.

On the launch of the new format, Jeff Stelling says: “The Euros never fails to capture the imagination, so I can’t wait to be back in the studio with my old mate, Merse.”

“I have known him for more than two decades, so I know exactly which buttons to press to get him going. We’ll be reacting to all the action but at the same time reminding ourselves of what makes the Euros such a brilliant tournament by remembering some of the greatest moments from the past.” 

“And who knows, along the way we might see some familiar faces who I have interviewed so far on the series.”

As a preview to the tournament, episode one features Merse’s five magic Euros moments.

Paul Merson added: “I won’t give them all away here, but Gazza’s Euro ’96 goal at Wembley is up there – sorry, Scotland! and Marco van Basten’s amazing volley in the final of Euro ‘88 for the Netherlands against the Soviet Union – so they will take some beating.”

“This is going to be a lot of fun. I love working with Jeff, so we’re just going to have a bit of a laugh, get the audience involved and keep the good energy coming for the duration of the tournament.”    

Launching on 23rd July, Football’s Greatest: Eras sees another two icons of the game, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, team up to take audiences deep inside one of the most iconic periods in British football.

The Manchester United duo and long-time friends pick up the Football’s Greatest baton for this inaugural limited series, which peels back the curtain on periods of the modern game. So, where else to start but at the Theatre of Dreams and life under Sir Alex Ferguson.

From the Class of ’92, to intimate portrayals of big characters such as Cantona, Ince and Keane, not to mention the infamous ’99 season and the dynasty that followed, this ten-part series brings audiences the unfiltered, no-nonsense view of two members of the golden generation.

Paul Scholes says: “There is so much that people still don’t know about the characters and day-to-day of life at United from back then. The aim of this series is to take people inside that environment a bit more.

“Once Nicky and I knew we were doing this, you obviously start thinking back to your playing days – and that has been interesting in itself. 

“There are so many of those moments where you go, ‘Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,’ so we have written them all down.”

Nicky Butt said, “That’s what we want to bring to this series – our perspective, and a load of the stuff people might not know. We want to tell people what it was really like, because it wasn’t all perfect”. 

“We certainly weren’t the loudest voices in some of those United changing rooms – that wasn’t really our style – but we were probably two of the more direct personalities in there, so we won’t be holding anything back.”

Available to watch on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts from:

Football’s Greatest: Euros – starts on Friday 14 June (10x30mins)
Football’s Greatest: Eras – starts on Tuesday 23 July (8x30mins)

London, UK – Monday 20th May 2024

Platform Media, the UK’s next-generation media company, has today announced its majority acquisition by global podcast group PodX. This is the largest acquisition the Stockholm-based company has made to date. It is also set to be the UK podcast market’s most significant deal ever by the time it completes in full, with the initial valuation surpassing eight figures.

Founded in 2021 by Matthew Sherry and Matt Sayward in conjunction with the 21six Group, Platform Media delivers production, distribution and monetisation all under one roof.

Its original content label Folding Pocket has produced some of the UK’s biggest podcasts, including The Good, The Bad & The Rugby; Football’s Greatest with Jeff Stelling; The Fast & The Curious; Ami Charlize’s Private Story; The 3AM Club with Caitlin and Leah; My Mate’s A Footballer with Patrick Bamford and Joe Wilkinson for BBC Sounds and Amazon’s Three Little Words starring John Bishop.

Creating podcasts that thrive on every digital platform – audio, video, social and beyond – Platform Media has delivered award-winning content for the world’s biggest brands, broadcasters, rights holders and talent. It has worked with Amazon Music, Audible, BBC, Domino’s, EFL, NFL, Paramount, Red Bull, Simply Be, Spotify, Vodafone and William Hill.

The team helps transform brands into true broadcasters that connect with audiences through 360° multi-channel entertainment strategies. Successes in this space have included Up Front with Simon Jordan, created for William Hill. One of the UK’s most successful branded podcasts, Up Front reached Number 1 in the charts with tens of millions of views, gained over 100K YouTube subscribers in just seven months and recently launched a new spin-off weekly show.

Despite a challenging market environment, Platform Media’s non-traditional podcast model has ensured the company’s revenue will grow to surpass eight figures this year.
Its impressive commercial strategy and multi-channel approach will help bolster PodX’s existing global network of podcast companies across the UK, France, Nordics and Latin America, while this acquisition will enable Platform Media to expand to new international markets.

With over 50 members of staff and its own state-of-the-art studio in London, Platform Media will continue to be led by co-founders CEO Matthew Sherry, CSO Matt Sayward and executive director Rick Ankers. The team is also bolstered by the permanent addition of former Somethin’ Else COO Paul Burdin. Burdin, who joins in the newly created role of Chief Profit Officer, has played a critical part in the M&A process as a consultant.

Matthew Sherry, Platform Media CEO, says:

“From the moment we met PodX, something has just felt right. Our two businesses have many shared ambitions, mutual philosophies and an overarching entrepreneurial spirit. PodX believes in the unique vision and business model that underpins Platform Media, and we believe that PodX is right that companies like ours can enjoy huge benefits and economies of scale through consolidation and shared infrastructure.”

Matt Sayward, Platform Media CSO, says:

“This company shows its true potential best when it takes big swings; whether that’s through launching brand-new shows with global talent, transforming the way leading brands engage with media, acquiring and levelling up existing IP, or expanding into new areas and territories. As we look to the future and our objectives for growth, we know that PodX are the partners we’ve been looking for that can unlock our ability to take even more big swings.”

Rick Ankers, Platform Media Executive Director and 21six Group CEO, says:

“We developed this business through some of the most difficult times of our generation. The reason for its success has been our absolute focus on the human element of business. Personally, I have only ever been interested in working with good people and now, in PodX, we have found partners who are just that.”

Staffan Rosell, CEO and Member of the Board, PodX Group, says:

“Adding Platform Media to the PodX Group is a significant step in building a leading global group within audio entertainment and beyond. Platform Media, with its status-quo-challenging approach, is one of the most exciting companies out there. They have truly pushed the boundaries for what it means to be a modern podcast company, and we see great potential to help scale the business in the UK and beyond. This acquisition further strengthens our position in the United Kingdom, and the English language market overall. We are acquiring a business with outstanding management at the highest level and a first-class track record. We wish Matthew, Matt, Rick, Paul and the rest of the team at Platform Media a very warm welcome.”

53 Minutes is the completely unbelievable – and completely true – story of football’s biggest mystery: Ali Dia.

“Ali Dia has long been a bit of an urban legend for football fans – most of us have heard the name, or the chants, but the reality behind his story is often entirely misunderstood at best. Ali fascinated me because he’s as much a name in football as he was 25 years ago. The idea for 53 Minutes came from really wanting to get to the truth of this story that has yet to be told in full.” – Aidan Judd, Series Producer.

Through this six episode miniseries, we tell the story of Ali Dia, while exploring the reality of what was going on in the football scene in the 90s, unearthing the exceptional circumstances that allowed a below average footballer to find his way onto football’s most elite stage, the Premier League.

The show landed at #1 in the Sports charts on Apple Podcast and Spotify, as well as in the Top 5 Podcasts overall. Since launch, 53 Minutes has been featured by Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, The Guardian and many others.

Football’s biggest mystery, as told by those who were there

How do you track down someone that disappeared from the public eye 28 years ago? By finding and speaking to everyone that was there and involved at the time.

We began by plotting out the central figures to this bizarre moment in football history, including footballers Matt Le Tissier, Ken Monkou, Francis Benali, Paul Thompson, Peter Harrison and Simo Valakari, as well as football journalists Ed Aarons, Frank Simon, Amy Lawrence, Graham Nickless, John Gibson, Graham Hiley, Steve Menary, Kelly Naqi and former football agent Winston Makamure, Southampton club historian Duncan Holley and Mady Touré who is the CEO of Generation Foot.

Securing Graham Souness’ participation, despite his previous reluctance to discuss Ali’s famous kick-about, marked a significant moment in the show, and for the team behind it.

That wasn’t enough and we needed to get closer to Ali, which we did by speaking to those who knew – and played – with him. Until we finally tracked him down…but you’ll have to listen to hear what Ali had to say.

Hosted by comedy legends…

Award-winning comedian Josh Widdicombe and Mock The Week’s Dara Ó Briain bring their hilarious chemistry to this addictive story. Their genuine interest in unveiling the details of what happened makes this narrative a must-listen for both comedy lovers and sports history fans alike.

Josh Widdicombe said “It is an honour to be asked to host this podcast on the greatest mystery of the greatest decade in the history of football. Like any football fan with their priorities right I see the story of Ali Dia as the sacred text of the sport and so I hope we can do it justice. Also, what a joy to be working with Dara and not have him ask me for some unlikely things you’d see in an action film.”

Dara Ó Briain added: “I jumped at the chance to finally get the truth about the legend that is Ali Dia, even though that might involve asking Graham Souness a question and getting a hard stare back.”

Binge the full series of 53 Minutes, out now.

The first episode of LDN to NFL, a brand-new podcast hosted by Michael ‘Mac’ Griffiths and Christian Scotland-Williamson, is out now.

Produced by Platform Media for the NFL, the show is aimed 16-25-year-olds. Stats and deep-level analysis are put to one side, as former Love Island contestant and personal trainer Griffiths, and former rugby union and NFL pro CSW will be joined by influencers from sport, gaming and beyond in a celebration of gridiron’s unique and uniquely engaging culture.

Troy Deeney is the guest for episode 1. The English footballer discusses how he came to be a fan of the  ‘other’ football and – in what will be a regular slot on the show – takes on Mac in a game of NFL Madden. The show is available to watch now on NFL UK’s YouTube channel.

Platform Media has also taken over the production of another official NFL show, The Jason & Osi Podcast, adapting the existing format for the 2023 season. London-based hosts, former NFL players Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora, are well-known to UK fans for their punditry work since retirement. This new partnership extends Platform Media’s association with the NFL following a pre-season content distribution campaign for the New York Jets last month. The latest episode, the first produced by Platform Media, can be listened to here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Commenting on the partnership, Taylor Barr, Commercial Strategy Lead at Platform Media, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the NFL at such an exciting time for the sport in the UK. The NFL’s ongoing commitment to growing the game perfectly aligns with Platform Media’s expertise in producing innovative, authentic content that enables brands, rights holders and governing bodies to reach and engage new audiences.”

Get in touch to find out what Platform Media can do for you and your content