Three-year pact gives Wondery rights to ad-sales, distribution and more to NFL stars' weekly show
Jason and Travis Kelce are kicking off a rich new deal with Amazon’s Wondery, which has exclusive ad-sales and distribution rights to the popular “New Heights” weekly podcast hosted by the famous football brothers.
The deal between the Kelce brothers and Wondery, which runs for three years, is worth more than $100 million, according to a source familiar with the pact.
Starting Wednesday (Aug. 28) — timed to beginning of the next NFL season — Wondery has global distribution rights to all audio and video episodes of “New Heights With Jason and Travis Kelce” including the show’s back catalog of all content, as well as rights to create international audio adaptations of the podcast. Wondery has exclusive rights to monetize and distribute audio and video podcast episodes.
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“New Heights” will continue to be available widely on all podcast services, including Wondery’s various distribution channels and on YouTube. The deal also includes ad-free listening for Wondery+ subscribers, livestreams, and rights to develop, manufacture, license and distribute all merchandise based on “New Heights,” including new consumer products. Wave Sports + Entertainment will continue to provide production services for “New Heights.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” the Kelce brothers 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!”
It’s another sizable deal for Wondery, similar in structure to the $80 million pact it announced with comedian and podcaster Dax Shepard last month. Other big-name podcasters have recently signed big-money deals, including Joe Rogan’s $250 million multiyear deal with Spotify and Alex Cooper’s deal worth up to $125 million with SiriusXM.
Wondery CEO Jen Sargent said the company had been following the Kelce brothers’ podcast ever since it launched at the beginning of the NFL’s 2022-23 season. “‘New Heights’ on the surface is a sports podcast, and sports is such a well-listened-to category,” she said. “But it’s become a cultural phenomenon — they’re in that cultural zeitgeist.”
On the show, the siblings — both Super Bowl champs with a combined 24 years in the NFL — talk about life on the gridiron and share personal stories from their day-to-day lives. They’ve also debated topics ranging from PB&Js to UFOs and have a rotating list of celebrity guest interviews. The weekly series continues to rank among the most popular podcasts on both the Apple Podcast and Spotify charts, and it was named Podcast of the Year at the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards.
The Kelces have other off-the-field media deals. Travis Kelce, better known in some circles as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, is hosting a 20-episode season of “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” for Amazon Prime Video. And Jason Kelce, after retiring following the most recent NFL season, signed on as a commentator for ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” pregame show.
Wondery’s audio portfolio spans multiple genres, including true crime, comedy, business, history and sports. Its slate of sports shows includes “Six Trophies,” “Men in Blazers” and “The Offensive Line With Annie Agar.”
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