New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Launched in September of 2022, "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce" has quickly grown to become a sports and pop culture phenomenon, the #1 Sports Podcast on Apple and Spotify, and as of February 16 the #1 and #2 overall podcast on those platforms, respectively.

How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?

In 5 months "New Heights" has become the #1 overall podcast on Apple, amassed over 2 million followers online, and earned a place in the sports and pop culture zeitgeist that was on display during Super Bowl week in countless ways, including an exclusive episode premiere with Good Morning America.

We believe it has set a new standard for how athletes can leverage their unique perspectives and personality and the community-building tools available on social media to create digital programming that penetrates mainstream culture and brings fans and players closer together.

Objective

WSE initially set out to create a digital series featuring NFL players that could provide fans unparalleled access and candid insights into the NFL. When we heard the Kelce Brothers were interested we felt we had found the perfect fit.

As beloved NFL veterans, we knew fans would be eager to hear their inside stories of life in the League, and as brothers we knew their chemistry would create an authentic and candid atmosphere that couldn’t be found elsewhere. The primary creative goal was to showcase the unique perspective, journey, and bond of brothers who went from backyard ball in Cleveland Heights to future Hall of Fame NFL players.

We leaned into their talents, stature, and unique shared experience and combined this with WSE’s unparalleled social media reach (100m+ followers) and social content expertise to build a hit show capable of reaching the top of the podcast charts and developing a massive community of fans.

Strategy & Execution

First, we believed this show could stand out from the large crowd of athlete-centric podcasts by supplementing the audio output with a strong video presence across YouTube and social media platforms.

YouTube is quickly becoming the preferred podcast platform for modern consumers, and we knew that in order to maximize the impact of this show we had to reach fans on video-centric platforms.

To achieve this, we created TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter accounts, and in addition to editing the full-length episodes, we also prioritized a high volume of 60-second 'shorts'-style videos to populate these pages. This strategy quickly proved to be a viral one, as these shorts fueled awareness, viewership, and community growth for the show. In the 5 months since the series launch we've accumulated 2 million cross-platform followers, including over 1 million on TikTok.

Most importantly, in the highly saturated, highly competitive digital content space it is essential that the on-air talent offer a unique perspective that cuts through the noise and connects with people on an authentic level. The genuine personalities, brotherly chemistry, and candid insights that the Kelce brothers bring accomplished exactly that.

Organizations

• Wave Sports + Entertainment
• A&A Management Group

Credits

Travis Kelce
Executive Producer & Host
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Jason Kelce
Executive Producer & Host
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Tunde St. Matthew-Daniel
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Brandon Borders
Supervising Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Mack Sovereign
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Brian Verne
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Aaron Eanes
Executive Producer
A&A Management Group

Ryan Jann
VP Content, Strategy, and Monetization
Wave Sports + Entertainment

EJ Wright
VP, Development
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Kayla Follmuth-Barnett
Sr. Director of Brand
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Jake Chatzky
Social Content Lead
Wave Sports + Entertainment

James Wasney
Director, Social
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Karli Cessario
Post Production Supervisor
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Matt Garrett
Director, Post Production
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Zach Schwartz
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Haley Skov
Manager of Development
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Nicole Walker
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Joe Anderson
Creative Director
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Trey Cahalan
Sr. Designer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Greg Warshaw
Line Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment