Taylor Swift and her new boyfriend, Travis Kelce, need no introduction. Considered one of the best tight ends in National Football League history, he has caught the attention of those who were not into the NFL previously. Swift set the internet on fire after appearing at Arrowhead Stadium when the Chicago Bears faced the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 24, after rumors had been flying around of the singer’s alleged relationship with the football star. Anywhere she goes, the pop star is going to make an impact.
The numbers say it all. Since the game on Sept. 24, 740,000 conversations about her and Kelce have been shown on X (formerly known as Twitter) so far. The game on Oct.1 with the Chiefs vs. the New York Jets was the second highest-watched game this NFL season and most can probably assume why. With 27 million viewers compared to the highest-watched game this season, the season opener on Sept. 7 had slightly more than 27.5 million viewers. The viewership for girls ages 12-17 also skyrocketed when the Chiefs played the Jets with a 53% increase compared to the three previous Sunday night football games this season. Tickets on StubHub for the Chiefs games have increased almost three times their usual worth, and Kelce has gained 1.1 million new instagram followers so far. Kelce’s jersey and merchandise have also increased tremendously with a near-400% increase in sales from shops like Fanatics, NFL stores and more. Swifties have even shown their appreciation by buying custom Chiefs jerseys with names including “Mr. Swift” and “T Swift” on them.
Trends have even started to appear from the hype on TikTok where women mess with their football loving husbands by claiming that Swift put Kelce “on the map” to get a reaction out of them. Girls who were not previously football fans will even go to these games just to be in the same presence and vibe of Swift, with tons of Swifties appearing in their Eras tour merch when the Chiefs and Jets faced off.
Swift’s impact has gone beyond the game and into the people of Kansas City as she donated a significant contribution toward a Kansas City food bank, showing more benefits to her and Kelce’s relationship.
Kelce has gone as far as to say that the NFL is overdoing it with the coverage, as the NFL is constantly posting about Swift attending games. How can he blame the NFL? Swift is arguably the most famous artist of all time and, for any organization, this level of attention is golden for businesses.
As time goes on, more controversy regarding the couple continues to spread. Football fans have created conspiracy theories stating that due to Swift’s presence, the NFL is making it so that the Chiefs win games, not wanting the Chiefs to fail this season. The theory’s evidence comes from the last drive when the Chiefs were looking to seal the game with the Jets seeking to force a stop and get the ball back with a chance to win; however, there were two very controversial flags that fans believe bailed the Chiefs out resulting in them winning.
Swifties that want to learn some of the basics and “storylines” to this NFL season are in luck. The Chiefs are coming off a triumphant win in the Super Bowl last year against the Philadelphia Eagles, whom many expected to come out victorious. The Eagles, claimed as Swift’s team, also have Jason Kelce on the team as a center. In addition to being widely considered one of the best at his position and one of the more iconic players in his team’s history, Swifties will be happy to know that he is also Travis Kelce’s older brother. The Chiefs, however, in the eyes of many did not look like they improved much during the off season, losing players and not gaining many new ones.
As time goes on, more news will continue to come from the NFL and the media surrounding it. The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, said that he and the city are welcoming the singer with open arms. This is unsurprising, as wherever Swift goes the cost of tickets skyrocket, so it makes sense the mayor would want her to make an appearance.
The NFL is always looking to expand their reputation all over the world and gain more fans. The NFL has five international games scheduled for this season. It would be no surprise if the new fan base for the league were to be women, due to Swift’s appearance and involvement with the NFL.
Ultimately, this is a touchdown for the NFL. The sports world is being shown just how much influence Swift has over Swifties and the way she can make this sort of impact in expanding the gender boundaries of the NFL fanbase. The NFL has never been doing better and this season is surely one for the books. In other words, for the Swifties, it is no doubt that the NFL’s wildest dreams have turned into reality.
