A Jason Kelce late-night show is in the works at ESPN; MLS considers switch to a wraparound calendar; and more.
Jason Kelce in talks for ESPN late-night show
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce is in talks to host a late-night talk show for ESPN, according to John Ourand of Puck. The show, which would be produced by NFL Films and licensed to ESPN (in a manner similar to The Pat McAfee Show), would run for 5 Friday episodes in a 1 AM timeslot. It would not be a traditional sports highlights and recap show akin to SportsCenter, but feature interviews with celebrities and other athletes hosted by Kelce, who joined ESPN as a Monday Night Countdown analyst this season.
While neither late-night SportsCenter nor late-night comedy on broadcast networks draw particularly strong linear ratings in 2024, the show would be positioned as a vehicle to generate viral clips for social media and other platforms, as the network attempts to maintain its relevance with a younger audience.
Kelce, along with his brother, the celebrity-connected Chiefs tight end Travis, host the popular New Heights podcast, which was recently licensed to Amazon in a $100 million deal.
MLS considering fall-spring schedule
Major League Soccer is considering modifying its season to a fall-spring schedule, similar to major European leagues, according to The Athletic. The move would allow the 2026-27 season to begin following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted in North America in June and July, and would also let US clubs to compete for players in the summer transfer window, which is currently in the middle of the MLS season.
Additionally, the league’s playoffs would move from October, during the MLB postseason and NFL, to a less crowded sports calendar in April and May. MLS would also observe all FIFA international windows, which would presumably please both teams and players. Additionally, it would avoid the summer heat of Texas and Florida, though that may be canceled out by a greater number of winter matches in the league’s northern markets.
Other notes
–Los Angeles Dodgers radio voice and former SportsCenter anchor Charley Steiner revealed in a Los Angeles Times profile Monday he is in remission from multiple myeloma blood cancer. Steiner, who joined the Dodgers in 2005 missed the entire 2024 season due to debilitating back pain associated with the disease, which was first diagnosed in January. The Dodgers expect him to return to the booth next season.
— FS1 host Nick Wright has signed a long-term contract extension to remain with the network, per Front Office Sports. Wright joined FS1 in 2016 as a contributor before creating the morning show First Things First with Cris Carter. The program had its most-watched year in 2023, and this fall moved to the afternoons to replace Undisputed following Skip Bayless‘s departure from the network.
— TKO Group Holdings, which was formed in 2023 to facilitate the merger of WWE with UFC, announced it has purchased sports assets from its parent company, Endeavor Group Holdings, in exchange for additional equity. In addition to WWE and UFC, TKO will control the PBR bull riding circuit, sports marketing firm IMG, and premium event hospitality provider On Location.
