Jason Kelce has been willing to try just about everything since retiring from the NFL and making his long-awaited foray into the media.
The latest project, according to the New York Times, is a “YouTube show” that is in the works with Amazon through its new Creator Services division.
As the Times reports, that division for now is largely built around Kelce and his brother, Travis, whose New Heights show has effectively become a case study after Amazon launched Creator Services to replace its podcast studio, Wondery.
Kelce already hosts New Heights with his brother and previously hosted a short run of a weekly ESPN late-night show, which also aired on YouTube. Of course, Kelce is also a television star for the Worldwide Leader, serving as a panelist on Monday Night Countdown and appearing in guest spots on TGL and Masters coverage.
The broad scope of the Kelce brothers’ deal with Amazon, reportedly worth $100 million, is evident on the “Kelce Clubhouse” landing page on Amazon’s website. The e-commerce giant hawks merchandise, the Kelces’ book (due in June), and their Garage Beer brand, while using the Kelces in promotions for some of Amazon’s other brands, per the Times.
While clearly not unique in a modern media ecosystem that often sees top personalities and creators partnering with multiple media companies at once, Jason Kelce’s deal is particularly notable given his prominence at ESPN.
The Worldwide Leader won the Kelce sweepstakes in 2024 by signing him to a reported three-year, $24 million contract. But the longtime Philadelphia Eagles captain’s Amazon deal appears to be a better, more holistic chance to turn his popularity into opportunity.
Given that ESPN could not execute on Kelce’s late-night show and is behind its competitors in podcasting and creator-centric content, it may not get the value from Kelce it originally envisioned when it signed him.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.