John Brenkus, risk-taking host of 'Sport Science,' dies after battle with depression

John Brenkus, the charismatic TV big who recovered originative ways to get sports fans to deliberation astir science, has died, his accumulation company, Brinx.TV, said Sunday successful a statement.

“John, co-founder of Base Productions, laminitis of Brinx.TV, and co-creator and big of the 6-time Emmy Award-winning ‘Sport Science,’ had been battling depression,” the connection read. “John mislaid his combat with this unspeakable unwellness connected May 31st, 2025.”

The connection added that Brenkus’ “heartbroken household and friends petition privateness astatine this time, and promote anyone who is struggling with slump to question help.”

Brenkus grew up successful Vienna, Va., and was a subordinate successful aggregate Ironman Triathlon races. Also a palmy businessman and media producer, Brenkus was champion known arsenic the big of “Sport Science.”

The amusement aired from 2007-2017, archetypal connected Fox Sports arsenic hour-long episodes for 2 seasons, past connected ESPN successful conception signifier wrong the network’s different programs. It featured technological experiments that tested communal notions astir athletes, their abilities and the capableness of the quality body.

In summation to the information of galore sports stars, Brenkus would often instrumentality portion successful the experiments, putting himself “in harm’s mode for the involvement of technological discovery,” arsenic ESPN erstwhile enactment it.

“Standing a precise mean 5’ 8” tall, and tipping the scales astatine an arsenic mean 160 pounds, Brenkus intersperses his hosting and enforcement producing duties connected Sport Science with performances arsenic the show’s ‘Everyman,’ to assistance show what happens erstwhile a regular feline steps connected the field, into the ring, oregon connected the tribunal with apical athletes astatine the apical of their games,” a 2009 ESPN property merchandise stated. “Along the way, helium helps audiences recognize their ain physiologies and however to amended their wide performance, wellness and well-being.”

ESPN’s Randy Scott remembered his erstwhile colleague, who was reportedly 53 erstwhile helium died, Monday greeting connected “SportsCenter.”

“John was uniquely talented and singularly superb astatine not lone analyzing sports but past translating sports and subject to generations of fans successful memorable ways, due to the fact that John was memorable,” Scott said. “… This satellite was a amended spot with John Brenkus successful it.”