Checkd Media strikes deal with Sky Sports Fantasy Football

I Had Trials Once returns with a bang through Sky Sports Fantasy Football sponsorship

Fast-growing iGaming business Checkd Group has brought back the much-loved I Had Trials Once podcast series, partnering with Sky Sports Fantasy Football season for their new season launch.

After achieving over 1 million downloads over the previous series, the popular podcast has returned on its own YouTube channel, hosted by regular presenters, non-league Radcliffe striker Jordan Hulme and ex-Salford star and now football agent Gareth Seddon.

The new show started last weekend, with former Leeds and Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny joining Jordan and Gareth. It generated a major buzz, with 9,000 audio downloads and more than 14,000 YouTube views helping I Had Trials Once reach number 14 in the Sports podcast charts. The episode also picked up coverage across a range of publications, including SPORTbible and The Sportsman, while clips shared on Checkd’s social channels have produced more than 4 million impressions in just over a week.

The relaunch, which will see episodes running over the next six weeks, is the latest in a series of podcast and video partnerships with leading industry brands that have brought significant engagement with Checkd’s large sports fan communities.

Checkd Media, part of Checkd Group, is producing I Had Trials Once, in conjunction with promoting Sky Sports Fantasy Football. Checkd Dev, Checkd Group’s tech division, has powered Sky Sports’ popular game over the past two seasons and also created a special tournament for the Qatar World Cup.

Will Tyrrell, UK Media Director at Checkd Media, said:

“After a sizeable break without doing the podcast, we’ve had plenty of requests from listeners for the return of I Had Trials Once. It’s great to bring it back in a brand new studio, whilst keeping the same entertainment levels.

“It’s a unique podcast with a highly-engaged and loyal audience. We’re sure Jordan and Gareth will once again bring out the best offbeat stories from their guests, while also helping to promote the new Sky Sports Fantasy Football game which has been such a success story for our Checkd Dev business since it rebuilt the platform two seasons ago.”