“His heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help,” a statement read
NEED TO KNOW
- John Brenkus, the founder and host of Sport Science, has died at age 54
- The producer had been “battling depression” before his death on Saturday, May 31, a statement shared to his X account read
- “His heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help,” the statement continued
John Brenkus, founder and host of the Emmy-winning show Sport Science, has died. He was 54.
The producer and television personality died on Saturday, May 31, following a battle with depression, his official X account shared in a statement over the weekend.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John Brenkus had passed away,” the statement began.
It continued, “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,” the statement continued. “His heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help.”
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Sport Science first aired on Fox Sports in 2007, before moving to ESPN.
With the help of professional athletes, Brenkus demonstrated science on the small screen for sports fans with his work. Per a synopsis from ESPN, the series followed Brenkus as he uncovered the “biggest myths and mysteries by using cutting-edge technology to measure momentum, friction and the laws of gravity.”
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Several fans and friends reacted to the news of Brenkus’ death on social media, including his Brinx.TV colleague and former NFL star Marcellus Wiley.
“RIP @johnbrenkus_🙏🏿❤️,” Wiley wrote.
ESPN shared a tribute to the late host on SportsCenter, announcing his death to viewers and remembering him as an “innovator, entertainer and educator,” who “will be missed by many.”
Brenkus previously opened up about his past mental health struggles, telling Wiley on a 2023 episode of Never Shut Up that he once “fell into a very deep depression” after selling Sport Science to ESPN. As Brenkus explained, he was suicidal when his dog, Zeppelin, came to his “rescue” by pulling on his pants.
“I literally picked up my phone, called my mom and said ‘There’s something wrong with me. I am mentally lost,’” Brenkus said. “I then went through a battle, I’m telling you, a battle to get out of it. I went to six different psychologists and psychiatrists. Finally found my answer. Finally found the way.”
The Sport Science host, who then found a doctor, said he considered it his “greatest blessing and greatest victory” to have gone through “the valley of darkness” to get to where he was at that point.
He also discussed stigmas surrounding mental health. “If you say, ‘I suffer from mental health issues,’ people look at you like, ‘Oh my God, what’s wrong with you?’ And therefore something like depression, which is just a thought loop you can’t get out of your head, you don’t share it with anybody. You feel embarrassed about it… Listen, there is hope. There are hotlines, there are friends, there is family. There are other people. Talk about it.”
Others in sports media also paid tribute to Brenkus, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who called the news “incredibly sad.”
“John was so good at what he did,” he wrote. “Sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace, John.”
