Growth in American Sports media and broadcasting is directly proportional to the success of the sports leagues. NFL’s meteoric success means a growth in complementary economies around it. Former players and coaches tend to make the most of the growing sports media economy thanks to the prior experience and credibility they bring.
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Case in point, Tom Brady signed a record-breaking 10-year deal worth $375 million with Fox Sports as a color commentator. ESPN is also not behind in making top signings having recently signed Bill Belichick for The Pat McAfee Show’s draft special. However, it looks like ESPN has signed the most coveted media free agent in Jason Kelce, who has been garnering interest from NBC, CBS, Fox, and Amazon for a broadcasting role.
Earlier today, The Athletic broke the news that Jason Kelce will soon join the “Monday Night Football” pregame show. While ESPN has remained tight-lipped about the report, the casting is considered a coup by the media giants considering the popularity of Jason, and his experience in broadcasting thanks to his venture. The former Eagles superstar will be joining the “Monday Night Countdown” hosted by Scott Van Pelt, featuring panellists Ryan Clark and Marcus Spears.
ESPN with Bill Belichick and Jason Kelce’s signings are on a roll. Belichick especially seems to be in ESPN’s plans for an extended role as he is reportedly negotiating to be a semi-regular guest on ‘Manningcast’ along with his regular appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. But Jason Kelce’s signing is undeniably the star signing as he brings fame, credibility, and the knowledge of taking a media IP to a million dollars.
New Heights Podcast’s Current Valuation is a Whopping $100 Million
When you look at it, the Kelce brothers have had an incredible rise in on-field success and fame in recent years. While Travis can’t seem to stop winning the Super Bowl, his relationship with Taylor Swift has taken his brand and popularity to a different stratosphere. Jason also essays the perfect sidekick to Travis’ current main character arc making the brothers one of the most eye-pleasing and positive social media personalities. Their triumph has seen their New Heights Podcast benefit the most.
Reportedly, Brands today are competing with each other to get year-long partnerships with the Podcast at a range of $2 million to $4 million. While brand endorsements are the lowest-hanging fruit, TV networks also seem to be interested in having a piece of the podcast. The Kelce brothers’ on-field success, association with Taylor, endearing personality, and ability to rope in high-profile guests regularly have set the New Heights podcasts’ current valuation at a reported $100 million.
Safe to say, with his podcast and the new ESPN deal, the recently retired Jason Kelce has had a stellar start to his post-football career. It will be interesting to see how his career in sports media shapes up!
