The Kelce family has been in the spotlight all week. Just days after Jason Kelce reacted to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's engagement on the New Heights Podcast, welcoming Swift as the newest member of the family, another headline emerged involving the Philadelphia Eagles legend. Still, this one had nothing to do with wedding bells. Instead, ESPN reportedly blocked Jason from appearing on YouTube's first-ever NFL broadcast in Brazil, which features the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.
According to Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel, ESPN's stance was blunt, giving a simple two-word response to Jason's participation request: “No way.”
The decision left YouTube without one of the NFL's most charismatic voices, a surprising move considering Jason's popularity as a co-host of New Heights alongside his brother, Travis, who continues to star for the Chiefs.
The reasons behind the block are fairly straightforward. Like other major broadcasters, ESPN has grown increasingly protective of its on-air talent and is reluctant to share them with rival networks. Jason, who earns $8 million per year with the network, could have negotiated an exception when he signed his contract, but the clause wasn't included at the time. That left ESPN within its rights to reject the YouTube collaboration.
The situation is even more complex, with the NFL itself poised to own 10% of ESPN once regulatory approval goes through. While the league would have an incentive to boost YouTube's presentation of games, it also has to safeguard ESPN's broadcast exclusivity. If the deal had already been finalized, the decision might have looked very different.
Adding to the intrigue, Jason and Travis's New Heights podcast continues to dominate YouTube with viral episodes, including a recent one featuring Taylor Swift. That popularity makes Jason a natural fit for streaming specials like YouTube's Brazil broadcast, yet also a prime example of why ESPN doesn't want to lend him out.
In that viral video, Taylor got emotional talking to both Jason and Travis about buying back her music masters, and this episode has become one of New Heights Podcast's biggest to date, blending celebrity culture with football in a way only the Kelce brothers can deliver.
