As Travis Kelce edges ever closer to the end of his football career, one big question continues to swirl: what’s next for the NFL’s biggest superstar?
While he continues to play at the highest level, Taylor Swift’s fiance has begun to build his off-field portfolio – starring in movies, hosting the biggest sports podcast in the world, and raking in millions through advertising campaigns.
And now, if ESPN has its way, there is a bumper TV deal waiting for him too – with the network’s chairman Jimmy Pitaro revealing all to the Daily Mail in a rare exclusive interview this week.
‘He’s fantastic,’ Pitaro told us on the red carpet at the 2025 Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame night, where he was handed the Chairman’s Award.
‘He’s still playing, his brother retired, but Travis is still playing and I wish him all the best for the rest of the season. He’s obviously a needle-mover, I know his podcast is doing incredibly well.’
And then the bombshell reveal about a potential partnership between Kelce and the biggest network in sports broadcasting.
Jimmy Pitaro told the Daily Mail that he and ESPN want to talk to Travis Kelce over a TV deal
Kelce is also set to marry the most famous woman in the world in Taylor Swift (R at Super Bowl)
‘We’d love to talk to Travis when he’s ready,’ Pitaro revealed, hinting that he and other ESPN execs will try and tie their second Kelce brother down to a big-money deal as soon as they can.
‘One of our priorities at ESPN is audience expansion and that really means attracting a younger audience,’ he adds.
‘[Travis and Taylor] are able to do that and they’ve been great for the sport… great for the game of football, great for the NFL, and they’ve been great for the enterprises that carry the NFL.
‘We’re all excited to see what that’s like going forward.’
Jason Kelce, meanwhile, hung up his cleats in March 2024 and has since become one of football’s biggest analysts, working on Monday Night Countdown each week and traveling the country with ESPN’s broadcast team.
Jason Kelce has become one of the hottest properties in sports broadcasting this year
Travis and Jason’s New Heights podcast has earned them a $100million+ deal with Amazon
He has become renowned for the lighter side of the sport, often partaking in pregame stunts – last week he joined a marching band in Baltimore – but Pitaro is insistent that he is so much more than the on-screen joker.
‘We love Jason Kelce, he does fantastic work for us,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘He’s now on Monday Night Countdown. We believe we’re at our best when we offer a combination of substance and humor – that’s really Jason.
‘He brings it. He does the work, he shows up prepared, he’s incredibly knowledgeable… one of the most knowledgeable football experts in the industry, so we’re very fortunate to have him.
‘At the same time, he brings some levity, he brings humor, he brings charm, he brings charisma, and I believe he makes us better. We’re all in on Jason Kelce.’
Kelce signed a three-year, $24million deal with the network in February of this year, and his brother Travis would certainly command a fee much higher than that should he accept the offer to sit down with ESPN in the coming months.
Kelce got engaged to Swift in August, with many expecting them to tie the knot in 2026
Kelce is currently weighing up his options as he approaches the end of his playing career
The duo’s New Heights podcast is in the middle of a three-contract with Amazon’s Wondery reported to be worth over $100m, too, and it was this week announced that the show will now also be shown on Prime.
Travis’ existing relationship with Amazon, and now Prime in particular, has opened the door to a rival NFL broadcaster usurping ESPN to secure the tight end – but a bidding war is certainly something Kelce would welcome.
For Pitaro, it has been an incredibly busy couple of years, with the Worldwide Leader in Sports recently launching its new direct-to-consumer streaming service.
‘It’s a fantastic place, the culture is amazing, I feel fortunate to be a part of this place,’ Pitaro adds.
Kelce went viral after a sideline spat with his coach – and ‘father figure’ Andy Reid last month
‘We’ve been hard at work over the past several years developing our new platform, our enhanced app, acquiring more rights, advancing our rights portfolio, live games, really leaning into our studio programming, leaning into digital, leaning into our presence on social, and we’re having great success.
‘It’s really wonderful to be here tonight and see the industry recognize ESPN’s success.’
This season, ESPN will carry 25 regular-season NFL games, with three more to be licensed in the coming months.
The recent acquisition of RedZone and NFL Network – much to fans’ initial concern – further cemented their presence in the market and doubled down on the sport being No 1 in their pecking order.
