Jason Kelce’s new ESPN show ‘They Call It Late Night’ gets a raw deal out the gates- hit with low ratings in debut episode

Jason Kelce’s late-night debut, They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce, premiered on ESPN at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night/Sunday morning, and—shockingly—didn’t light the ratings world on fire. Pulling in 290,000 viewers, the debut episode featuring Charles Barkley was immediately labeled a ratings flop.

John Ourand of Puck News…

“Comps are tough. Two weeks ago, that time slot had more than 700,000 viewers. But that figure was inflated by the Indiana-Notre Dame playoff game earlier in the night. Same time period last January averaged 436,000. From ESPN’s perspective, viewership numbers from a late-night talk show that has a five-episode run don’t matter nearly as much as other aspects of this programming deal. ESPN is happy to be in business with Jason Kelce, regardless.”

Pump the brakes, Johnny. Are we sure that Jason Kelce can even be judged based on debut ratings alone? I’d like to discuss that…

Giving Jason Kelce a 1 AM Time Slot Is Criminal

Let’s be real—airing your new show at 1 a.m. on a weekend, right after the New Year when everyone is either exhausted or still partying, is not exactly a recipe for success. Most people had no idea this show even started.

It felt like we went from “ESPN is considering this idea” to “Oh, here’s the debut episode” without any build-up or promotion. And then, without missing a beat, reports about the show’s low ratings flooded in. It’s like they set the show up to fail before it even got started.

Imagine if ESPN had actually hyped this properly—prime-time promos, a clear rollout plan, and a reasonable time slot. Kelce is one of the most popular figures in sports right now. Between his New Heights podcast with Travis Kelce, his Monday Night Countdown appearances, and now this show, his brand is already massive. But even the biggest star needs a chance to shine, and 1 a.m. on a Saturday is not it.

The Death of Late Night and the Once-a-Week Problem

The entire late-night format has been dead for years. A decade ago, maybe this idea would’ve worked. Back then, late-night TV was still a cultural force, with people actually tuning in nightly to see what Fallon or Kimmel had to say.

But now? The format barely works for people who’ve been doing it forever, let alone for someone trying to break into the space with a show that airs once a week.

The world has changed. If ESPN wants Kelce’s show to succeed, they’d need to pivot to a nightly format. Give him five shows a week, at a reasonable time, with plenty of cross-promotion. That’s the only way to truly compete in the late-night space.

Of course, this leads to another problem: Jason Kelce is probably the busiest guy in sports media right now.

Jason Kelce Is Already Spread Thin

Between hosting New Heights, making guest appearances on ESPN, and the general chaos of being one of the most beloved athletes in America, Kelce is a one-man content factory. Asking him to do a nightly show is probably unrealistic unless he decides to step away from some of his other projects.

And let’s be honest, his podcast with Travis is already more impactful than anything ESPN could put together.

That said, ESPN knew what they were getting with Kelce: a charismatic, authentic personality who resonates with fans. But if they want They Call It Late Night to be more than a footnote in his media career, they need to give it a fair shot. That means better promotion, a better time slot, and a format that matches how people actually consume content in 2025.

The next episode of They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce airs January 11

The next episode of They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce airs January 11 at—guess what—1 a.m. EST. It’s hard to imagine the numbers being much better unless ESPN figures out how to market this thing properly. But even then, the concept itself might need reworking. A once-a-week late-night show feels outdated, and the 1 a.m. time slot screams afterthought.

Kelce is too big a personality to waste on a doomed concept. He deserves better, and frankly, so do his fans. Here’s hoping ESPN figures this out before they squander what could be a game-changing addition to sports media.

Best of the DEBUT of They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce 🎥

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