Ahead of the new football season, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman and ESPN analyst Jason Kelce, have signed an ad-sales representation and distribution deal with Wondery for their New Heights podcast. The Amazon-owned podcast studio will have the global distribution rights for all audio and video episodes of the show as it enters its third season.
This includes backend content and the ability to create international audio adaptations of the podcast as well. Wondery also has exclusive rights to monetize and distribute the audio and video podcast episodes. According to a report from Variety, the contract spans three years, is worth over $100 million and officially commences on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
Travis Kelce will begin his 12th season in the National Football League as the Chiefs aim to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships. Conversely, Jason Kelce recently retired from playing in the league and will be part of Monday Night Countdown on ESPN alongside Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears and Adam Schefter. Both brothers will also continue co-hosting New Heights, which will be available across podcasting services, including Wondery distribution channels and YouTube.
Aspects of the deal also include early and advertising-free listening for Wondery+ subscribers, livestreams and the rights to develop, manufacture, license and distribute merchandise based on the show. Wave Sports + Entertainment will continue providing production services for the program, something it has done since it launched in 2022.
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” Travis and Jason Kelce said in a statement. “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!”
The New Heights program provides listeners with a firsthand look at the football careers of Travis and Jason Kelce, along with their lives off the field and salient discussions pertaining to sports and pop culture. Over its two seasons on the air, the show has propelled itself into the upper echelon of sports podcast offerings on platforms such as Apple and Spotify. The show was recently honored as ‘Podcast of the Year’ by iHeartMedia at its 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards.
“Since its first play, New Heights has brought hilarious, relevant commentary and interviews, and unprecedented insider access to the NFL season and professional sports,” Jen Sargent, chief executive officer of Wondery, said in a statement. “Now a cultural phenomenon, we’re excited to grow the New Heights brand together with Jason, Travis, and Amazon through Wondery’s 360-approach that will engage and excite audiences across audio, video, live experiences, merch and more.”
The deal to bring New Heights expands the sports portfolio of podcasts offered by Wondery, a lineup that has expanded throughout the year. Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton agreed to bring their Road Trippin’ podcast to the platform, and Annie Agar recently launched an original podcast series titled The Offensive Line. Other sports programs through Wondery consist of shows such as Men in Blazers, Over the Top and The League.
