Travis Kelce podcast “New Heights” supported by Taylor Swift effect

In a recent panel at Cannes Lions — the advertising world’s equivalent of the Oscars — the Kelce brothers shared how their show has changed, thanks in part to Travis’ high-profile relationship with the global pop superstar.

“The audience of the show is changing,” Jason admitted when asked what he thought about its audience changing from “hairy football fans” to “14-year-old girls.”

He emphasized the central role of fans in shaping the content, adding: “The fans and viewers are the driving forces behind the content. They are hungry for things, and that helps us talk about things and develop a plan. We talked about things on the podcast that I don’t think we would have ever gotten to if the fans hadn’t tuned in.”

Travis saw a nearly 400% increase in sales of his Kansas City Chiefs jersey after Swift was spotted in the crowd at his NFL games last September when the two began dating. And the All-Pro tight end confirmed a similar increase in his reputation now that Swifties are flocking to his podcast.

Travis stressed the importance of adapting to the growing and diverse audience, saying: “You have to listen to your viewers. We have a lot of new football fans, so we don’t just talk about football like we would in the dressing room, but make it simpler so everyone can join in and still enjoy the show.”

The success of New heights has also brought in lucrative sponsorship contracts.

“As the show gets bigger and he (Jason) and I get bigger and more famous, bigger brands and more opportunities will open up for us,” Travis added.

“It’s really evolved into something I never expected. In the beginning we were happy to have dog food sponsors, and now we get to choose who will represent the podcast.”

Jason echoed this sentiment, noting the growing interest from brands: “There are more opportunities and more brands that want to be part of the show. We’re always trying to figure out which brands we really identify with and really want to be a part of, and that’s a process that continues to evolve as the show grows.”

The craft beer brewery Garage Beer is the current sponsor of the Kelces for their New heights Podcasts.

How the Kelces combine football and entertainment

More and more athletes are taking advantage of their unique position at the intersection of sports and entertainment to build thriving businesses, and the Kelces are proving to be a very attractive proposition for advertisers looking to get a piece of the pie.

“In the National Football League, we all wear face masks,” Travis said.

“One of our goals (of the podcast) was to get out of the mask area and really get into the viewers’ living rooms.”

But the real success of her show was the unpredictable nature of her broadcast, and Jason says he now views the podcast as a way to bring the sport to a more diverse group of fans and capitalize on the global movement to promote women’s sport.

“We want to stay true to the people who tuned in from day one,” Jason said.

“But with the demographic shift, that’s really expanded. Everything that’s happened in the last year (Travis and Taylor) has given girls reasons to get involved in a sport that there wasn’t as much interest in before. Now dads are spending time with their daughters, worlds are colliding and our show is becoming another place where those worlds are colliding, which is great.”

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