After their success in the NFL, Jason and Travis Kelce are making headlines in the media industry with a massive $100 million podcast distribution deal with Amazon’s Wondery network for three years. This will give Wondery exclusive rights to their blockbuster podcast “New Heights” which is available in both audio and video formats.
Despite the collaboration, the podcast will still remain accessible across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. That said, Wondery is going to tackle more than just podcast production including advertising international distribution in multiple languages, live streaming services, and even the creation and sale of branded merchandise.
Taking to his channel, Sports and Business YouTuber, Joe Pompliano described this agreement as a “massive win.” It’s remarkable to note that although New Heights is two years old, this deal could potentially bring in more revenue for the Kelce brothers than their combined earnings from their NFL careers so far— Jason with around $82 million and Travis close to $77 million.
In 2027, which is when the contract expires, the Kelce brothers will again have ownership of their podcast content library and intellectual property rights.
The success of Kelce’s New Heights is also highly influenced by its reach on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok– boasting a following of 11. 5 million.
No wonder, Wondery is poised to transform this $100 million funding into a goldmine!
Excitingly enough for all the NFL fans to ponder on is the fact that New Heights holds greater promise ahead, with its clever marketing techniques and subscription models set to revolutionize the industry norms as we know them today.
New Heights to Boost Revenue with Strategic Ads and Subscriptions
Last year, the New Heights podcast had already managed to secure lucrative advertising deals worth $33.3 million due to soaring demand for ad slots that often get booked months ahead at premium rates twice the industry norm.
And, now, Wondery is coming to encash this opportunity and likely recover the annual investment solely through ad revenue.
Furthermore, there are other sources of income as well to consider. To illustrate one potential avenue is through subscription fees. For instance, Wondery provides its audience with the option of access and ad-free listening for a monthly charge of $5.99 or an annual fee of $45. Even if only a small portion of New Heights listeners choose to subscribe, the number of fans the podcast boasts means that even a minor percentage could generate extra revenue.
Wondery might also consider developing New Heights into a television series and selling branded products while organizing live events with the Kelce brothers that can be streamed on Amazon Prime
Another plan that can be considered is to broaden the reach of the podcast by translating it into languages such as Spanish or French—a move that could attract a larger audience and increase revenue opportunities for Wondery and the Kelce brothers in various ways.