Crocmedia will re-brand as Sports Entertainment Network from 1st October.
The move acknowledges the evolution of the Crocmedia business from its regional radio beginnings to the multi-platform sports and entertainment business that it has become – connecting brands with fans across radio, television, digital, publishing, stadiums and events.
Today, the business owns and operates 16 radio stations around the country – including 1116 SEN Melbourne, 1629 SEN SA in Adelaide, the soon-to-launch 1170 SEN Sydney as well as 10 stations under its racing brand SENTrack. It also owns a newspaper, magazine and talent management business.
See also: Hutchy’s Crocmedia update: How COVID-19 impacted broadcaster
The national SEN radio footprint is underpinned by a digital platform – providing Australian sports fans with all the breaking sports stories as well as on-demand podcasts and live streaming of SEN audio and live sport commentary delivering:
• 698,000 unique digital users per month*
• 1.1 million audio streams per month*
• 2.1 million monthly podcast listens*
In addition to its owned radio stations, Sports Entertainment Network is the largest syndicator of sports radio content across Australia.
It holds broadcast rights to the AFL, NRL, A-League, Big Bash and Test Cricket as well as international sports events like NFL Super Bowl and boasts the biggest names calling the biggest games across its commentary teams: AFL Nation, NRL Nation, Big Bash Nation and Football Nation.
Other syndicated radio shows include the long-running, locally-produced weeknight Sportsday, Off The Bench, Reel Adventures – hosted by AFL legend and passionate angler Patrick Dangerfield and motorsport show The Driver’s Seat.
Its production business Rainmaker also produces live and pre-recorded TV programs from state-of-the-art studios in Melbourne’s Southbank – including Women’s Footy, The Oval Office and Footy SA & WA.
In addition, Rainmaker is also the production partner of Bowls Australia, Softball Australia, Athletics Australia, Hockey Australia and just recently WNBL – responsible for end-to-end live sport coverage for major tournaments and events for broadcasters including Nine, Seven, SBS, Fox Sports and ESPN.
CEO Craig Hutchison, who co-founded Crocmedia in 2006, said: “Our obsession for creating engaging sport and entertainment content has been embraced by sports-loving Australians and seen our business grow from a regional radio syndicator into a successful national broadcaster and publisher.”
“Many people don’t know that SEN is the acronym of Sports Entertainment Network so it’s fitting to pay tribute to our origins via our new market-facing brand.
“But we never forget where we came from … and to this day, we are as passionate about producing content through a local parochial lens as we’ve ever been – ensuring audiences have the choice to consume what they want, when and where they want.
“Our Origin coverage this year for example, will include a dedicated, one-eyed Blues and Maroons live commentary – as well as a neutral call; while our commitment to local programming has seen us launch metro breakfast shows in each market – most recently with cricket legend Ian Healy and sports presenter Pat Welsh on SENTrack in Queensland.
“And regional Australia remains at the centre of our production DNA and we remain committed to providing unique and tailored content to all of regional Australia too.”
SEN boasts many of the biggest names in sport broadcasting include chief sports caller Gerard Whateley whose own show Whateley is Australia’s most popular sports radio podcast**.
Gerard Whateley
For its upcoming 1170 SEN Sydney launch, one of Australia’s great rugby league and media characters Matty Johns will make his return to radio when 1170 SEN debuts during 2020 NRL Grand Final week later this month.
Johns joins a line-up of the biggest names in sport including Australia’s most popular rugby league commentator Andrew Voss, Matt White, Bryan Fletcher, Joel Caine, Katie Brown and Jimmy Smith.
Sports Entertainment Network also publishes the iconic AFL Record which has not missed an edition since it rolled off the presses in 1912 – surviving world wars, floods, the great depression and now a pandemic!
The business also owns TV production company Rainmaker, talent management agency Bravo Management and entertainment and experience business Ballpark.