Voiceworks Sport, the Manchester-based sports audio specialist backed by Communicorp UK has welcomed three key appointments to its senior leadership team.
Michael Holt has joined as director of commercial partnerships, Stefan Doyle as head of sport social and Richard Herrick as sport partnerships director.
Voiceworks Sport focuses on helping sports brands and rights holders to reach new fans through audio, and the slate of new hires comes as Voiceworks Sport and sibling company Sport Social Podcast Network celebrate significant growth in 2022 to date.
The new appointments will be focused on securing key commercial and rights holder partnerships, and growing Sport Social’s network of shows and creators.
Holt joins with over 20 years’ experience in audio and TV, spanning Commercial Director roles at Discovery Inc, TRACE and The Drum as well as sponsorship and strategy roles at Virgin Radio, Guardian Media Group and the Radio Advertising Bureau.
Doyle joins as Head of Sport Social, with former Head Jim Salveson stepping into a new role of Director of Sport. Having previously worked across Bauer Media Group’s national portfolio and as a producer for Global, Doyle will work closely with Sport Social’s network of podcast creators to develop content and grow listener audiences.
Herrick, founder of Herrick Associates Sports Consultancy, will be targeting new rights holder partnerships for both Voiceworks Sport and Sport Social.
Founded in 2020, Voiceworks Sport launched its Sport Social Podcast Network in February 2021, as a dedicated podcast platform to bring together sports content creators. The network is home to popular shows including Seaman Says, The Late Braking F1 and The Joe Marler Show, and recently celebrated 3.5 million monthly downloads.
With a roster of new shows in the pipeline and having recently signed a partnership with Italian football talent management agency S!, the new team will be tasked with unlocking further future growth. Voiceworks other clients include some of the biggest international brands in sport, including EuroLeague Basketball, ParalympicsGB, World Freestyle Football Association, Sports Direct and Goal.
Sophie Hind, MD at Voiceworks Sport & Sport Social Podcast Network, said: “As the volume of brands and creators we work with grows, we’re investing in the team to meet the demand, in particular at a senior level. We’re excited to welcome the latest members of the team to the business, who bring a wealth of experience and talent with them.
