Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Former NFL player Jason Kelce prior to a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Could Jason Kelce's next act be hosting a late-night show?
John Ourand of Puck is reporting that Kelce "is in talks to host his own show" that would air on ESPN.
"Kelce’s people and the network are still trying to nail down the specifics, but my sources say the gig wouldn’t be a highlight or recap show. Rather, the concept that seems to have gained the most traction is a late-night show, featuring Kelce with other athletes and celebrities. The show would be produced by NFL Films and licensed to ESPN, which will air it on five consecutive Friday nights—likely 1 a.m. ET on Saturday, to be precise—starting in January, with the hope that the show will create clips that go viral on social over the weekend."
Essentially, what this sounds like is an extended pilot. If it blows up, then it would likely be picked up on a more permanent basis. If not, well it aired at 1 a.m. ET, so not that many people saw it anyway.
What this does reflect is that while there is still a focus on live programming, networks like ESPN now recognize that a big part of the game is gaining traction the next day with viewers who watch part or all of the show on YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok and other platforms.
Kelce joined the four-letter network as part of Monday Night Countdown, and from an objective sense seems to have pretty strong ability as an analyst. Still, a more open-ended environment might get the best out of Kelce, and a late-night show with guests would fit that bill.
Regardless of what happens, there's something to be said for striking while the iron is hot in media. Clearly, the Kelce brothers — actually, the Kelce family — are doing that now. Even if the dust settles in a few years, they'll have gained significant wealth out of it.
