How The Steve Bracknall Podcast Reached the Unreachable

20 May 2026
Talking Podcast 1 Stage

When a Sunday pub league football match became one of the most watched live streams on a busy Easter weekend of football, it wasn't luck — it was the result of a completely different way of thinking about what a BBC podcast can be. Game's Gone: The Steve Bracknall Podcast has built something the BBC rarely achieves: a show that finds people who never thought BBC content was for them.

In this session, the team behind the podcast pull back the curtain on how they did it — from commissioning strategy to creative execution and building a community. Expect some numbers that will genuinely surprise you, and an honest conversation about what it takes to reach an audience the BBC has never really connected with before.

Chairperson
Stevie Middleton
Stevie Middleton, Commissioning Executive - BBC Sounds
Speakers
Ellie Clifford
Ellie Clifford, Head of Creative Development - Persephonica
Steve Trenchard
Steve Trenchard, Assistant Commissioner - BBC Sounds
Niomi Fraser
Niomi Fraser, YouTube Producer, Video Podcasts - BBC Sounds