Crowd Network bolsters senior leadership team as it welcomes new commercial director

Crowd Network (Crowd), the UK’s fastest-growing audio-on-demand network, has welcomed Katherine Hutcheson as commercial director. The appointment comes as Crowd looks to develop its commercialisation strategy, targeting significant revenue growth across new and existing shows.

Launched in September 2020, Crowd its home to original shows across its Crowd People and Crowd Stories divisions, with a new sports division in the pipeline. Working with major names in British entertainment, its chart-topping podcasts include The Sam and Billie Show, The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club and The Secret History Of: Flight 149.

With over 20 years’ experience in audio, Katherine has held commercial content director positions for Bauer’s National Brands, Katherine was also responsible for the commercial development and strategy for JACK Radio Group. More recently Hutcheson was at Acast responsible for driving revenue and nurturing relationships with senior media agency stakeholders.

As Crowd’s roster of award-winning shows continues to grow, Katherine will work closely with senior leadership to target growth in new and existing revenue streams. In April, Crowd’s first ever live show, The Joe Marler Show at The Clapham Grand, London, sold out in just 10 hours. Hutcheson will be maximising Crowd’s revenue streams across additional live tours, as well as sponsorship, advertising, merchandise, subscriptions, and other commercialisation options.

With experience in building partnerships with leading media agencies, Katherine will also manage Crowd’s existing roster of commercial partners and target new strategic brand partnerships.

Crowd has undergone significant team growth since its launch. Starting as a team of four, the company is now 18-strong and Hutcheson’s appointment marks the latest in a string of senior hires. Former BBC creative lead Rob Roberts-Facey joined as Head of Sport in July, to lead the development of the new Crowd Sports content division.

Mike Carr, CEO of Crowd Network, said: “The podcast industry is growing and evolving quickly, and tapping into valuable, viable revenue streams is crucial to remaining competitive. With Katherine on board, we are in a strong position to take advantage of new commercial opportunities, developing a strategy that aligns well with our brilliant slate of shows. It’s fantastic to have her as part of the team, and with her considerable experience in revenue delivery in the audio space, we are confident Katherine will help Crowd reach its next level of growth in the coming months.”

Katherine Hutcheson, commercial director at Crowd Network, said: “I’m thrilled to join Crowd Network. There is still so much untapped opportunity for growth in podcasting and audio, especially in companies like Crowd, where there is a real focus on quality shows that listeners truly connect with. There is already a strong commercial foundation within the business, with a number of its shows enjoying live shows or impressive demand for merch. I’m excited to be working closely with the team to push this further, and unlock growth for new upcoming shows too. There is so much potential at Crowd, and I can’t wait to explore it.”