John Brenkus, the man most well known for the popular Sport Science series, has passed away according to a post shared to his Facebook profile.
Sport Science was an innovative program that took a deeper dive into a side of sports that truly had never been explored before. It won multiple Emmys during its time with Fox Sports Net and made many appearances on ESPN breaking down various athletes, plays, and moments.
Here is one segment from Sport Science on ESPN with Brenkus that chronicled the stats behind LeBron James’ famous chase down block in the 2016 NBA Finals.
The message posted to Brenkus’ page on Sunday night states, “It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John Brenkus has passed away. John, co-founder of BAsE PRoductions, founder of Brinx.TV and co-creator and host of the 6-time Emmy Award-winning “Sport Science,” had been battling depression. John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31st, 2025. His heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help.”
As the news spread, many individuals in sports media paid tribute to Brenkus including Marcellus Wiley, who he had partnered with at his Brinx.TV streaming platform.
RIP @johnbrenkus_
🙏🏿❤️ pic.twitter.com/NprlQ9bvQy— Marcellus Wiley (@marcelluswiley) June 2, 2025
Just saw the news of John Brenkus passing over on his Facebook profile. So heartbreaking. Sport Science was an incredible show, and I never heard anything but good things about him during my time at ESPN. pic.twitter.com/tSYawMP5gP
— Kristi Dosh (@SportsBizMiss) June 2, 2025
John Brenkus was a staple on so many of our childhoods.
Horrible news. https://t.co/jglUp5nn9g pic.twitter.com/VC9XdYC1KL
— Sons of Saturday Podcast (@SonsofSatVT) June 2, 2025
Brenkus appeared on the Awful Announcing Podcast last May to discuss his time on Sport Science and his new endeavors. In addition to the Brinx.TV platform, he had worked to create content with the Hall of Fame for a series around pro football’s GOAT.
John Brenkus had publicly talked about his battles with depression previously, telling Wiley that he had tried to attempt suicide before his dog saved him during an interview in January 2023 where he advocated for the importance of caring for mental health and providing hope for others.
May his memory be a blessing and his gifts that he shared with sports fans everywhere endure.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available and can be reached any time at 988 for those in need of help and support.
