When Travis and Jason Kelce launched the New Heights podcast in September 2022, they could not have foreseen its meteoric rise. The show has since become the world's biggest sports podcast, but the first episode was far from polished. The pilot, which now has over 340,000 views on YouTube, was marked by stumbles and shouting as the brothers found their footing.
Travis opened the show wearing a Cincinnati Bearcats jersey, rubbing his palms together and introducing the podcast as 'a Jukes original show presented by Wave Sports and Entertainment.' Jason remained stoic while Travis delivered a shaky introduction, explaining that the program would offer 'next-level access in the NFL.' The brothers followed a 12-question format to honour their combined 12 Pro Bowl selections.
The conversation veered into unexpected territory when Jason recounted castrating a bull during a trip to Missouri. 'I had my granola crunch hiking boots on while I was knuckles-deep in this bull's...' he exclaimed, as Travis laughed and opted out of further details. Jason also recalled his first encounter with Ray Lewis on the field, shouting, 'In the middle of the play, I'm like, 'Holy s**t, I'm blocking Ray Lewis.''
Despite the rough start, the podcast has grown exponentially, topping Spotify and Apple charts as the leading sports podcast. The Kelces now use the show to provide weekly NFL breakdowns, and Travis has since won two more Super Bowls. The pilot episode concluded with the brothers discussing their upcoming seasons and comparing Super Bowl rings.
