Daijiworld Media Network - Virginia

Virginia, Jun 2: John Brenkus, co-founder and former host of the Emmy-winning TV series Sports Science, has died at the age of 54, his family announced on social media. Brenkus had been privately battling depression, a struggle he openly discussed in recent years.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John Brenkus has passed away,” the family statement posted on his Instagram read. “John, co-founder of Base Productions, founder of Brinx.TV, and co-creator and host of the 6-time Emmy Award-winning Sports Science, had been battling depression. John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31st.” The family requested privacy and urged anyone struggling with depression to seek help.

No further details on the cause of death were given, and there is no indication of physical illness, accident, or foul play.

Brenkus was candid about his mental health challenges. In a 2023 interview on Brinx.TV’s Never Shut Up, he revealed his descent into a “deep, deep depression” after selling Sports Science to ESPN in 2010. Feeling “mentally lost” and “flat-out suicidal,” Brenkus credited his dog for intervening during a suicide attempt, which led him to reach out to his mother and seek professional help.

Despite his efforts to raise awareness and destigmatize depression—especially among men in demanding careers his battle continued until his passing.

Born in 1971 in Vienna, Virginia, Brenkus co-founded BASE Productions and created Sports Science, which launched in 2007 on Fox Sports Net before moving to ESPN in 2010. The show, which earned six Sports Emmy Awards, broke down athletic performances using science and featured over 1,800 segments with stars like Drew Brees. In 2013, he launched Brinx.TV, producing programs such as The Goat Code, described as “Sports Science on steroids.”

John Brenkus’s legacy lives on through his groundbreaking work and his courage in speaking openly about mental health.