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Late-night television just got a major new addition!
Former NFL player Jason Kelce, 37, is set to host his own talk show on ESPN in January 2025, he announced on the Thursday, November 21, episode of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“I am starting, I believe it’s January 3rd … we’re going to be doing a late-night show during the post-season on ESPN,” Kelce shared with host Jimmy Kimmel.
They Call It Late Night With Jason Kelce has been picked up for five episodes and will air every week in the early hours of Friday/Saturday at 1 a.m. through February 1, per The Hollywood Reporter. The show will be filmed at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer in front of a live audience.
As well as airing on ESPN, They Call It Late Night is also set to stream on ESPN+ and ESPN and Kelce’s respective YouTube channels.
Kelce joined the ESPN family earlier this year as an on-air analyst following his NFL retirement. He contributes to the network’s Monday Night Countdown, which precedes Monday Night Football during the NFL season.
“When I first approached ESPN with potentially working for them … I love late-night shows. I remember sleepovers watching Conan O’Brien with my friends,” Kelce said on Thursday’s episode of Kimmel.
“The biggest thing players say they miss when they leave the sport is being around the guys, the locker room, the banter,” he continued. “Being able to have this show, we’re going to have a bunch of guys up there — legends of the game, friends I’ve played the game with, coaches, celebrities.”
Kelce also noted that he will have his own house band, Philadelphia-based SNACKTIME.
News of a potential Kelce-fronted late-night show first broke in late October when Puck reported the former Philadelphia Eagles center was in talks for his own show.
When Kelce signed his contract with ESPN to cohost Monday Night Countdown, a job he started in September, the official announcement said “further opportunities will be explored” between the two sides.
Since announcing his retirement earlier this year after a 13-year career in the NFL, Kelce has been busy building a highly profitable media empire.
In August, he and brother Travis Kelce signed a 9-figure deal with Wondery for their mega-popular “New Heights” podcast.
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” the Kelce brothers said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to ‘New Heights!’ We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership.”
