Why Did ESPN Shut Down Jason Kelce’s Chiefs-Chargers YouTube Broadcast? The Surprising Truth Revealed!

Jason’s brother, Travis, plays for the Chiefs (if you haven’t heard). They share a wildly popular podcast, New Heights (if you haven’t heard). It had massive YouTube numbers during a recent episode featuring Travis’s future wife, Taylor Swift (if you haven’t heard). And Jason has served as a spokesperson for YouTube’s Sunday Ticket (if you haven’t seen).

It would be interesting to know what the outcome of the YouTube Kelce request would have been if the ESPN-NFL deal had already been finalized. Which means it will be interesting to see how such issues will be handled after the deal is finalized — and the NFL has a more effective way to call ESPN with a two-word message, “Relax, guy!”When the Kansas City Chiefs locked horns with the Los Angeles Chargers in what was touted as YouTube’s very first NFL broadcast from Brazil, the obvious choice to spice up the coverage was Jason Kelce. After all, with his sharp insights and undeniable connection — thanks to his brother Travis playing for the Chiefs — it seemed like a perfect fit. Yet, in a move that stunned many, ESPN dropped the hammer with a curt “No way.” You see, despite Jason’s off-field persona, including a wildly popular podcast with Travis and notable YouTube appearances, the network’s tight grip on talent sharing made it impossible for him to jump into this one-off YouTube gig. It’s a tale that underscores the growing tension between traditional broadcasters and emerging platforms like YouTube and Netflix as they battle over exclusive access to top NFL personalities. Add to this cocktail the impending NFL ownership stake in ESPN, and you’ve got quite the drama unfolding behind the scenes — a clash of interests where business deals, contracts, and star power collide in unexpected ways. Curious about the full scoop? LEARN MOREThen there’s the fact that the NFL will, pending regulatory approval, own 10 percent of ESPN. On one hand, the NFL has an interest in enhancing the YouTube presentation. On the other hand, the NFL has an interest in protecting ESPN’s interests.For Friday night’s inaugural YouTube NFL stream from Brazil featuring the Chiefs and Chargers, Jason Kelce was a no-brainer option to contribute to the broadcast.Unfortunately, ESPN had a two-word response: “No way.”

Of course, Jason Kelce could have added a term in his contract allowing such moonlighting — if he’d known ESPN would be adopting a policy of preventing on-air employees from taking on other assignments. Given that ESPN pays Jason million per year, there’s a good chance ESPN would have agreed to it at the time they were recruiting him.But ESPN, like other broadcasters, are now very stingy when it comes to sharing talent with other networks. It has complicated the efforts of YouTube and Netflix to staff their “one-off” NFL telecasts.Via Ryan Glasspiegel of FrontOfficeSports.com, ESPN blocked Kelce from participating in the game.