Amazon win $100m race for Travis and Jason Kelce’s podcast that will offer fans a different look to past NFL seasons
Travis and Jason Kelce’s ‘cultural phenomenon’ podcast will have a new home – and a different outlook for the 2024 season.
For the first time since their hugely popular emergence on the podcast scene, Jason will not be playing in the NFL – so will have a different perspective to Travis and the Super Bowl chasing Kansas City Chiefs.
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Publishers ‘Wondery’ – part of the Amazon group – have beat off reported competition for the brothers’ unique insight to their lives, signing them to a three-year deal worth more than $100m.
Chiefs, Eagles, NFL fans and ‘Swifties’ have been without an instalment of the ‘New Heights podcast since July, but a new episode with a new publisher will drop on Wednesday August 28.
With Jason and Travis’ show enjoying an offseason of it’s own ahead of the new NFL season which starts on September 5, when Travis’ Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens – the Hollywood Reporter were among the first to report the news.
There has been plenty of speculation over which publisher would win the rights to the show, which had previously been published by Wave Sports + Entertainment but will now have a new home.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Wondery will have ‘global distribution rights’ alongside what are expected to be lucrative ‘exclusive ad-sales and distribution rights’ to the podcast – and it’s entire back catalogue.
“We’ve been watching the growth of the podcast, really since it was launched, and I have been building a relationship with Travis and Jason and getting to know them for a while now,” Wondery CEO Jen Sargent told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Sports is a really exciting category for podcast listeners. It’s a strategic priority of Wondery’s and Amazon’s. So there were a lot of reasons to think about joining forces here on the New Heights podcast.”
Kelce’s relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift had seen the brothers popularity rise to stratospheric levels, becoming the fourth most listening to podcast in the United States.
It also attracted a huge global audience who followed the week-to-week events of life in the NFL but also offered a glimpse into Travis and Swift’s burgeoning romance.
Sargent added: “‘New Heights’ on the surface is a sports podcast, and sports is such a well-listened-to category.
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“But it’s become a cultural phenomenon — they’re in that cultural zeitgeist.”
Travis first announced on his podcast in July 2023 that he had tried – unsuccessfully – to exchange friendship bracelets with Swift when he and his Kansas City Chiefs teammates attended her ‘Eras Tour’ at Arrowhead Stadium.
However, when Swift turned up at the stadium to watch Kelce and the Chiefs in action in September last year it became the talk of the sporting and showbiz world – on a weekly basis.
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Travis eventually used the podcast to open up on the relationship, regularly referring to ‘Tay’ and her army of fans who had joined and added to the show’s increased number of listeners.
Travis spent the NFL offseason travelling the globe to watch Swift in action, and she had been in attendance for most of his NFL appearance – including the Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers in February.
Fans got insight into the celebrations and the post-match partying, but the last time they heard from the brothers in unison was on July 3 when the most recent episode featured Travis’ recollection of his appearance alongside Swift on stage at Wembley Stadium.
As well as his NFL career, Travis is also adding to his reputation as a celebrity with a number of TV and film roles in the works.
He reportedly has an appearance lined up to be part of the Happy Gilmore sequel, has already recorded roles in upcoming films Grotesquerie and Loose Cannons, while he will present the Amazon Prime show ‘Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity’
For now, Travis’ immediate sights are set on an unprecedented third successive Super Bowl with the Chiefs although Jason is preparing for a new start.
After 13 years in the NFL, the former Philadelphia Eagles center retired at the end of the 2023 season, has announced he will move into broadcasting, like seven-time Super winner Tom Brady.
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The 36-year-old will be part of the ESPN Monday Night Football team, with his first assignment expected to be the pregame show for opening MNF of the season when the San Francisco 49ers host the New York Jets on September 9.
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” a Kelce brothers statement said on their new podcast home.
“We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to ‘New Heights’!
“We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership. We are thrilled to start Season 3 — see you soon, 92%ers!”
