Get ready for more Jason Kelce on ESPN airwaves.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, the former Philadelphia Eagles center officially announced his new weekly ESPN late night show. They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce has been picked up for an initial five-week run, with the first episode premiering on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.
“I love late-night shows. I’ve always loved them. I remember at sleepovers watching Conan O’Brien with my friends,” Kelce told Kimmel. “For me, the biggest thing that players say they miss when they leave the sport is being around the guys. Is the locker room, is the banter… we’re going to have a bunch of guys up there. Legends of the game, friends that I played the game with, coaches, celebrities.”
As for what the hour-long show — which will be taped at Union Transfer in Philadelphia and feature live music from the local band SNACKTIME — will entail, an official ESPN release reads:
“They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce will be an immersive experience from Union Transfer in Philadelphia, showcasing the Super Bowl champion’s oversized personality and infectious humor mixed with celebrity guests from the football world and beyond, in front of a live audience of NFL fans. The show’s format will position Kelce and his guests to dissect NFL topics and storylines, mainly focused on that weekend’s games, in both conventional and good-humoredly unconventional approaches including active participation from the fans in attendance.”
Late-night TV will welcome a new host in 2025. Jason Kelce announced on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thursday night that his new ESPN late show will air Friday nights starting January 3rd. pic.twitter.com/VZYHp13Q7Z
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) November 22, 2024
Deriving its name from NFL Films’ 1967 full-length feature, They Call it Pro Football, the weekly late night show will air on ESPN at 1 a.m. ET on Friday nights/Saturday mornings and will also be available on ESPN+, ESPN YouTube and the Jason Kelce channel on YouTube presented by ESPN, with replays airing on ESPN2. The show will be produced by NFL Films, in conjunction with Kelce’s Wooderboy Productions and Skydance Sports.
With the first episode of the show — which was first reported as a possibility last month — set to air during the final week of the regular season, They Call It Late Night figures to be a staple of ESPN’s programming throughout the NFL playoffs. It will certainly be worth monitoring how the show performs throughout its initial run and where it fits into the Worldwide Leader’s plans following the postseason.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.