For all the talk of Tom Brady’s TV debut in 2024, few pro athletes have made the transition off the field and into the pop-culture landscape more effectively than Jason Kelce, whose unique professional and personal alchemy includes: notable on-field success, including All-Pro honors, a Super Bowl title in Philadelphia and a role as a lead performer of the Eagles’ “Tush Push”; off-field media stardom as a co-host, with brother Travis, of the wildly popular “New Heights” podcast; and commercial ubiquity (Buffalo Wild Wings and Campbell’s Chunky Soup, among others).
Kelce’s bearded, beer-swilling “everyman” vibe is at the heart of his charm
And the show leaned right into that. Kelce wore a letterman’s jacket and T-shirt, with jeans and work boots.
He set a tone quickly, asking his audience: “How did we get here?” Actually, his very first words were “Holy s—.” The late-night license to curse was used liberally but not particularly gratuitously (the s-word went unbleeped, the f-word was bleeped).
Kelce’s opening monologue gets graded on a curve
That’s because the late-night host monologue in front of an audience is among the most challenging work in all of TV — let alone by someone with limited hosting experience. The audience was friendly and forgiving of the occasional faltering riff, if not laughing their heads off. The bits involving actors — like a segment where Kelce met himself as a 14-year-old and as an older person — were more cringe than comedy.
The second segment shined
The show was at its best in the second segment, when Kelce brought out a roundtable of guests: the rapper and actor Dave “Lil Dicky” Burd, the NFL TV analyst Brian Baldinger and — in an impressive flex by Kelce and ESPN — Charles Barkley.
Their roundtable conversation felt like listening to a podcast in all the right ways — casual and conversational. From his experience co-hosting “New Heights,” Kelce seemed so much more comfortable as a moderator than solo star.
The show could use a tighter run time
As the show got deeper into its hour-long run-time, the conceits and viewer experience got demonstrably more strained: A segment where the four panelists were tasked with doing their best impressions of legendary NFL Films voice (and Philly native) John Facenda was derailed by the panelists being totally unprepared to read their cue cards and the content of the cards being clunky and corny. (Burd: “I don’t know what I just read.”)
The show needs more Kylie
One area where the show should not skimp going forward: Air-time for Kelce’s wife, Kylie, who sits at a table in the wings (“Kylie’s Korner”) and acts as lead voiceover, lamentably used only sparingly in the debut.
Kylie — who recently displaced Joe Rogan as the most popular podcast host on Spotify — is way too talented (and way too big of a star in her own right) to have such a minimal, marginal role. The show would benefit from way more Kylie, and it could easily replace the final two blocks with the couple bantering about topics together — or adding Kylie to the roundtable.
Conclusion
In this case, they don’t need the canned bits and actors — they have Kelce, in all his authenticity and talent for holding a conversation; they have Kylie; they have ESPN’s convening power to get big names like Barkley; they have a friendly Philly crowd and a welcoming studio set-up — and they should double down on letting Kelce do what he is best at.
FAQs
Q: What is the name of Jason Kelce’s new show?
A: The name of Jason Kelce’s new show is “They Call It Late Night With Jason Kelce”.
Q: Who is the co-host of Jason Kelce’s podcast “New Heights”?
A: The co-host of Jason Kelce’s podcast “New Heights” is his brother Travis Kelce.
Q: What is the format of the show?
A: The show is a late-night talk show featuring Jason Kelce as the host, with a roundtable of guests and a mix of comedy and conversation.
Q: Will the show be available on ESPN?
A: Yes, the show will be available on ESPN, as part of a multiyear deal.