New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce | 6th Hashtag Sports Awards

New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce

The 6th Annual Awards

Winner

Best Podcast

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce from the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce from the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about their games, share unique perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines, and entertaining stories from a combined 21 years in the league, off-field interests, and host engaging conversations with special guests.

How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?

“New Heights” has transcended the podcast / fan fourth wall to such an extent that journalists consistently rely on content from “New Heights” episodes as well as fan reactions and interactions on social media for insider commentary on NFL news and rumors as well as general entertainment stories. Most importantly, fans love this show and express it in unique ways, like the listeners who took their engagement photos in the brothers’ jerseys, or the couple who announced the birth of their baby with the Kelce brothers’ tagline “NEW NEWSSSS.” In 2023 alone, ‘New Heights’ saw 160M engagements across the show’s social channels, and the show has 100K+ official "Club 92" fan club members.

Objective

Wave Sports + Entertainment (“Wave”) initially set out to create a digital series featuring NFL players that could provide fans unparalleled access and candid insights into the NFL, and found the perfect fit in the Kelce Brothers. By leaning into their beloved personalities and natural brotherly chemistry, our 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.

As the first season went on, we aimed to build on the momentum and success of the first few months with even more fan engagement and hype around the epic Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl matchup aka the Kelce Bowl. Entering its second season, the goal was to become more connected to the loyal fanbase that supports the show, with the creation of a dedicated website and opportunities for fans to get involved in different segments each week, including “No Dumb Questions,” “Fan mentions of the Week,” and most recently a fan voted “NFL Best Team Name” bracket.

Strategy & Execution

By utilizing Wave’s network of 130m+ highly engaged followers, we achieved our initial goal of growing quickly and establishing a consistent drumbeat of engagement on social media and interest from traditional media within the first months of launching.

A major challenge we face is how to make this show stand out from all the others in an increasingly crowded player-centric podcast space. By being flexible to the demands of an in-season NFL schedule, we’ve managed to keep the show on a consistent weekly schedule for fans to look forward to each week.

The brothers remain authentic in providing their uniquely insider perspectives and insights, and the community of fans supporting the series has continued to grow and connect with each other as we have created additional opportunities for viewers to get involved in the show segments as well as attend in-person events throughout the year such as the sold out ‘New Heights Live’ event in Kansas City.

We remain consistent with our social media marketing strategy using short-form, snackable clips as a growth lever on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. This social engagement strategy and how Wave approaches serving modern-day fandom is a huge factor in the show’s continued growth.

Organizations

Wave Sports + Entertainment

Links

Featured

Jason Kelce
Travis Kelce

Credits

Jason Kelce
Executive Producer and Host

Travis Kelce
Executive Producer and Host

Aaron Eanes
Executive Producer
A&A Management

Brian Verne
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Mack Sovereign
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

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

Ryan Jann
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

EJ Wright
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Nick Crooks
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Brandon Borders
Executive Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Jake Chatzky
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Emma Samocki
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

James Wasney
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Kayla Follmuth-Barnett
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Greg Warshaw
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Haley Skov
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Trey Cahalan
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Quin Baker
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Joe Anderson
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Jake Perlmutter
Producer
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Adrian Silberman
Editor
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Jesse James
Editor
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Brady Kane
Editor
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Karli Cessario
Editor
Wave Sports + Entertainment

Matt Garrett
Editor

Celebrate in NYC

Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.