NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce have secured a monumental podcast deal with Amazon, valued at $100 million (£75 million). The three-year agreement, unveiled on Tuesday, grants Amazon’s Wondery audio network exclusive multimedia rights to the Kelce brothers’ widely popular “New Heights” podcast.
The deal comes ahead of the podcast’s third season, with the Kelces expressing their enthusiasm for the partnership. “We couldn’t be more excited,” the brothers said in a statement. Since its inception in 2022, “New Heights” has gained significant traction by blending celebrity interviews with personal anecdotes and brotherly banter.
Travis Kelce, 34, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, has gained additional fame as the partner of pop icon Taylor Swift. His brother, Jason Kelce, 36, retired after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and now works as an analyst for ESPN.
The agreement highlights the growing prominence of sports and entertainment podcasts, with “New Heights” having been awarded Podcast of the Year at the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards. Wondery’s Jen Sargent praised the show’s cultural impact, noting its appeal extends beyond sports to become a significant part of the broader zeitgeist.
The podcast boom is reflected in Nielsen’s data, which shows a 45% increase in American podcast listeners over the past five years, with the total audience surpassing 183 million. This trend is mirrored in the UK and globally, where podcast ad revenue has surged into the billions, according to PwC. The shift underscores a broader change in media consumption, with younger audiences increasingly favoring podcasts over traditional TV.
The Kelce brothers’ deal follows a recent high-profile agreement between Wondery and comedian Dax Shepard, and mirrors other significant podcast partnerships, such as Joe Rogan’s $100 million deal with Spotify and Alex Cooper’s move to SiriusXM.
In addition to their podcast, Travis Kelce is set to host the US version of the gameshow “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” for Amazon, further expanding his presence in the media landscape.
