SBC News CheckdMedia CEO Jamie Knowlson on the opportunity for growth and US expansion

CheckdMedia CEO Jamie Knowlson on the opportunity for growth and US expansion

SBC spoke to CheckdMedia CEO Jamie Knowlson on how new appointments are positioning the firm for significant growth, also highlighting the ‘once in a generation opportunity’ presented by US regulation.

SBC: CheckdMedia is now part of CheckdGroup, what does this mean for the future plans of the business?

Jamie Knowlson: We want CheckdGroup to be the leading full-service agency within the industry; our ambition is clear. 

Through our robust skillsets, we are able to offer operators worldwide the opportunity to not only create a product proposition, but expertise in taking it to    market and acquiring users all from within the Group. There are very few companies who are able to create, distribute and engage to the extent we’re able to internally.

SBC: This year you’ve hired a new Marketing Director, Head of Commercial and now a Product Director. How have these new appointments helped in terms of new business or growth opportunities? Are there plans to increase your headcount further?

Jamie Knowlson: All three of these appointments were made with the vision of CheckdGroup in mind. Alex Beecham (Marketing Director), Harry Bowden (Head of Commercials) and Adam Patton (Product Director) bring a wealth of knowledge and recognised ability within the industry. The trio have already made a significant impact on the business’ growth and hold important roles in taking CheckdGroup forward.

The next significant appointment we’re seeking to make is a CEO of the group. Lee Struggles and I started this business in 2012 and we feel now the time is right to find someone else to take us forward. 

SBC: Are you planning US growth in the coming year and if so, what strategy do you anticipate will best suite this market? 

Jamie Knowlson: The US market regulating is a once in a generation opportunity. Lee and I will be exploring the opportunities for CheckdGroup to enter the US as we step back from the UK operations. We’ll be devoting a lot of time to research to ensure we can take a great localised offering with the utmost chance of success.

SBC: How has expanding into Fantasy sports boosted engagement for CheckdMedia?

Jamie Knowlson: Fantasy was the first step for us after CheckdDev joined the group. Adam’s team have a wealth of experience in this area after their success with Fantasy iTeam. It’s been a great opportunity for us to take the FootyAccumulators brand on to a different product offering. 

The CheckdDev team are making an immediate impact on the Media side of the business and a lot of exciting partnership opportunities are well underway; we’re extremely grateful to have them as a part of the Group. 

SBC: Are you able to tell us more about the sponsorship with Altricnham FC and the opportunity it represents?

 Jamie Knowlson: Non-League has always been seen as the ‘real game’ of football that holds a close relationship with its followers and fans. This relationship-driven mantra is exactly what we strive for with our FootyAccumulators brand.

We’ve been working on a fly-on-the-wall documentary with the fantastic people at Altrincham FC as we enter another year of sponsorship with the football club – make sure you head over to our Youtube channel!

SBC: How much of an impact has the launch of your podcast had in terms of engagement?

Jamie Knowlson: Podcasting is swiftly becoming one of the most popular forms of media consumption as it engages and entertains users on average for longer periods than any other form. We recognised I Had Trials Once as a fantastic opportunity to engage more people in the core demographics we’re looking to build audiences in.

We’ve had fantastic success to date with over 250,000 plays since it began and we have even bigger plans for series three as we look to broaden our horizons on Youtube!

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