Latest innovation in podcasting, Pomodo, launches in UK

London, UK—Spearheaded by Dylan Pugh, Spotify’s former Head of Podcast Monetisation for EMEA, Pomodo will create a network of premium quality sports and lifestyle podcasts, featuring current and active sports stars. Offering end to end support in concepting, production, distribution and monetisation, the brand new offering offers sports people who are looking to create a podcast the perfect platform to bring their concept to life and get their voices heard.

Following 6 years at Spotify, Pugh left the business in July 2020 to pursue the launch of Pomodo, and already has an impressive roster of talent on board including James Haskell, Chloe Madeley and Ronnie O’Sullivan to name a few. The new proposition will utilise Pugh’s extensive industry knowledge to provide sports personalities a one stop shop to bring their podcast concepts to life, as well as providing brands with a network of premium audio content ripe for sponsorship.

With podcasts continuing to dominate the audio space, and accelerating in popularity and accessibility as our homes and cars become more connected, there has never been a better time to launch the concept. Consumer demand is continuing to demonstrate a marked shift from linear to on-demand, and a growing consciousness around the reduction of screen time has bolstered a boost in podcast listenership globally.

Shaking up the sports podcast arena, which currently features extensive content from ex-players, broadcasters, journalists and fans, Pomodo launches with the intention of giving active sportspeople a platform to build their own profile, and provide an opportunity to voice their opinions, share their unfiltered stories and personality directly to fans, building more authentic relationships.

With industry leading experience in podcast monetisation and brand building, Pugh has seen first hand the growth in the number of mainstream brands investing in podcasts, a space that was traditionally dominated by D2C brands. With the format growing in popularity globally, pulling in greater listener figures year on year and yielding extremely high engagement levels, podcasts are becoming a core part of many brands’ media strategy.

Dylan Pugh, Founder, Pomodo, commented: “I’ve been working on this concept in the background for a while, but during lockdown, with more time on my hands due to the lack of a commute and nowhere to go on weekends, I had more time to dedicate to research and development. I reached out to a few key contacts in the sports industry, I quickly realised that I was on to something, and it all developed pretty quickly from there!

The thought of giving up a very good, stable job during a pandemic, especially at such a great company like Spotify, could be deemed as crazy! But I’ve always wanted to launch my own business, and as a former professional rugby player, sports have always been a core pillar of interest for me. Now that I have a strong idea that I am both passionate and knowledgeable about, I decided to go for it. I don’t want to look back in 10 years and wonder “what if”. I know I’m taking a risk but I’m confident, excited and absolutely relishing the challenge ahead.

I’ve built a fantastic network of content creators, and leveraging my 16 years experience in the digital marketing space, believe we have built the perfect proposition to bring engaging, profitable sports podcasts to market.”

With three podcasts already in the pipeline, Pomodo is kicking off with the bar set high. Pomodo - a StartUp Journey, hosted by Pugh offers a warts-and-all account of someone starting a business in the depths of a global pandemic. Pugh takes listeners on the journey through his key decisions, progress, key conversations, doubts, challenges and successes along the way. The initial four episodes chart the company’s growth to date, with episodes added as the business builds.

Debuting on 5th August, Couple’s Quarantine, a podcast from James Haskell and Chloe Madeley will see the couple combine forces to delve into the nation’s relationship problems that arose during lockdown and beyond. Offering a witty, engaging and dynamic new insight into the sporting duo’s lives and relationship.