Jason Kelce is Getting a Late Night Show
I know, I know – two Jason Kelce posts in one day, but this is newsworthy:
Thursday night on @JimmyKimmelLive, @ESPNNFL‘s @JasonKelce announced his new late night show coming to ESPN
More on ‘They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce’ ➡️ https://t.co/6Lb88nxGUF pic.twitter.com/uoMbGkQw4L
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) November 22, 2024
On one hand, you ask yourself if Jason is overexposed right now. Too much, too soon? Maybe. On the other hand, you pause for a second and think about the post-retirement success that a fan-favorite Philadelphia Eagle is having. Here’s a guy who was a 6th round draft and played center, now he’s getting a late night ESPN show. That’s pretty sick no matter the zeitgeist of November, 2024. And when we’ve had to listen to former Cowboys and Giants in the media for a long time, seeing Eagles break through and find a media foothold is a good thing.
Future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce is becoming a quarterback of late-night sports entertainment television with They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce on ESPN. Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.
ESPN will televise the Jason Kelce-fronted show, beginning the night and morning of January 3 and January 4, with each episode also available on ESPN+, ESPN YouTube and the Jason Kelce channel on YouTube presented by ESPN. Replays will air on ESPN2. NFL Films will produce the show in conjunction with Kelce’s Wooderboy Productions and Skydance Sports.
They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce will be an immersive experience from Union Transfer in Philadelphia, showcasing the Super Bowl champion’s oversized personality and infectious humor mixed with celebrity guests from the football world and beyond, in front of a live audience of NFL fans. The show’s format will position Kelce and his guests to dissect NFL topics and storylines, mainly focused on that weekend’s games, in both conventional and good-humoredly unconventional approaches including active participation from the fans in attendance.
The atmosphere inside Union Transfer will bring the Kelce experience to life, amplified by live music from SNACKTIME, Philadelphia’s own beloved band with soul, funk, hip hop, and rock influences. Each show will be taped on Friday evening, mere hours prior to airing.
The five-episode run will premiere hours prior to the NFL’s regular season finale (Week 18) and have consecutive weekly airdates leading into Super Wild Card, Divisional and Conference Championship weekends before the finale ahead of the Pro Bowl Games and nine days from Super Bowl LIX. Kelce officially announced the show on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, Nov. 21.
A Name Rooted in History
They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce derives its name from They Call it Pro Football, NFL Films’ first full-length film (1967), representing Kelce’s subtle tribute to the sport and the company which will now produce his own show more than 55 years later. The original NFL Films production was given the prestigious honor of being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012, having been highly recognized and credited with how football and sports were showcased on television following its creation.Multiplatform Show Debuts on ESPN, Available on ESPN+ and ESPN YouTube
ESPN will air the program at 1 a.m. ET, with the fifth episode beginning at 1:30 a.m. The show will be available on ESPN+, ESPN YouTube, and the Jason Kelce channel on YouTube presented by ESPN following its initial ESPN airing and then will re-air on ESPN2 on Saturday mornings, ahead of the NFL slate. Clips of the show will be actively pushed across social media platforms in real time and the hours following its airing, including on ESPN and Wooderboy handles.