Navigating a Shifting Publishing Landscape: How TEAMtalk Rises to the Challenge

James Marshment has seen TEAMtalk through major turns in football and publishing. Now Editor, first joining the brand in 1998, he has led its daily news operation since 2013, setting the agenda, refining headlines, and keeping a sharp editorial focus on clubs like Leeds United, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

But today's publishing landscape is unlike anything seen before.

In 2024 the UK’s publishing industry's revenues only rose by 1%, the consequences of which are often up for discussion at events nationwide.

Between platform algorithm overhauls, growing content fatigue and the unpredictable impact of AI-generated news, the pressure on editorial brands has never been higher.

It's a moment of reckoning for digital publishers, yet for TEAMtalk, the brand approached the situation not with panic, but a willingness to evolve and reinvent. 

Led by James, the brand's editorial team used the changes happening around them as a catalyst to sharpen every aspect of their operation and stay ahead.

"We like to deliver what we feel is a very honest product." James said. "We're honest with our headlines, we're honest with our articles; we do what it says on the tin." 

We're far from the era of just chasing clicks: people want quality.

In light of this, James’ team doubled down, restructuring articles to reflect reader expectations more intuitively: the story as reported, the transfer truth, related news, and player infographics to round things off. It might sound like a simple strategy, but the impact on engagement has been brilliant.

You must remember: when the content breathes, readers linger.

"It's really important to evolve, keep up with the latest news and just deliver a product in keeping with the market trends," James explained.

To further connect with their readers, the leading football news and rumours brand also further expanded individual club focuses, meaning their writers developed even deeper expertise and a more consistent tone across coverage.

After all, TEAMtalk isn’t just about reporting transfer news, it’s about providing the fans with a comprehensive experience to help them understand the bigger picture. This involves not only the what and when, but also a deeper analysis into the why behind the transfer market. 

Then came the TEAMtalk app. 

Launched strategically ahead of the summer transfer window, the app wasn’t intended to repackage the site but was a carefully considered expansion.

"You've got the ability to personalise the app so you can get push alerts on the team of your choice... in turn creating a news environment which suits each reader", James said.

The app's design complements the site, putting the home of football transfer news quite literally in fans' pockets, closer to the action. 

Diversification, as exemplified through TEAMtalk's expansion into the app space, is more important now than ever before, sentiments of which are echoed by our Chief Commercial Officer, George Oddysesos, who points out that revenue diversification remains a top priority for publishers who are in constant battle with tech giants and wider platform changes.

And with the summer transfer window now upon us, all signs point to a record-breaking season. "Liverpool have got a massive budget... Arsenal obviously need a striker... Man United, big summer rebuilds... Newcastle looking to push into the title bracket," James explained, rattling off club ambitions with the kind of insider fluency that only comes from being deep in the transfer trenches, day in, day out. 

When an ecosystem falters, as the wider publishing industry has in recent years, it’s naturally scary, and your instinct might be to scale back. TEAMtalk has done the opposite. The title has doubled down on quality, deepened expertise, and invested in long-term fan engagement. That’s the real audience-first dedication any brand should aspire to. 

With the app now live, an editorial team tighter than ever, and one of the busiest periods of football upon us, TEAMtalk is thriving amidst industry turbulence.

Join the journey and download the app below.