Kelce brothers hit ‘New Heights’ with $100 million podcast deal
By Ramishah Maruf and Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN
New York (CNN) — Yet another podcast has inked a deal upwards of $100 million.
Brothers and NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce signed a deal with Amazon’s podcast studio Wondery for their “New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce” podcast. The agreement brings exclusive ad-sales and distribution rights for all audio and video episodes to Wondery. It also includes the entire back catalog.
A source familiar with the Kelce brothers’ deal tells CNN the agreement is in the $100 million range. The deal goes into effect this month, just in time for the latest NFL season.
“New Heights,” entering its third season, is a sports podcast featuring commentary, insight and interviews aboutthe NFL by the Kelce brothers. It ranks as one of the top sports podcasts, especially during football season, according to the press release.
“We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons,” the Kelce brothers said in a statement Tuesday.
Jason Kelce retired this year from the Philadelphia Eagles after 13 years in the NFL. Travis Kelce, whose relationship with Taylor Swift has caused a media circus, is the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end and fresh off winning his third Super Bowl ring.
“We are excited to partner with Wondery for this new chapter of the podcast and look forward to reaching new heights,” said Aaron Eanes, co-founder of A&A Management, representing Travis.
A distribution deal with one streamer doesn’t mean listeners won’t be able to access the podcast on other streamers, like Spotify or Apple Music. The agreement just means the deal holder usually maintains the advertising and distribution rights, and subscribers to the deal holder might get perks like special episodes or early access. For example, subscribers to Wondery+ will be able to listen to “New Heights” ad-free and earlier than everyone else.
The Kelce brothers announcement is just the latest in a line of blockbuster podcasting deals.
Just last week, “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper signed an agreement with SiriusXM, giving the platform exclusive advertising and distribution rights of the podcast, as well as other content and events. The multi-year deal is worth $125 million across three years, sources familiar with the deal terms told CNN. That’s more than double her previous deal with Spotify.
And in January, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes left Amazon to take their podcast “SmartLess” to SiriusXM for a three-year deal valued at $100 million.
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