From endorsing Kamala Harris for president to snagging seven trophies at the MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift’s all booked and busy. But there’s no way she’s missing out on her romance novel-turned-reality love story with boyfriend Travis Kelce. She was there to cheer him on for the season-opening Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens game at Arrowhead Stadium, just like she reserved her attendance at the Sunday game against Cincinnati Bengals.
The headline-grabbing pop star has significantly impacted NFL viewership since her head-turning appearances in 2023 to watch her boyfriend in action. Now that she is a regular on the VIP side of the bleachers, it has positively helped the NFL court female fans by branching out their merchandise by tapping retailers like Victoria’s Secret. There’s no doubt that the league is leaning into the Taylor Swift effect, which in turn has bolstered a “brand value” of $331.5 million for the Chiefs and the NFL, according to Apex Marketing Group’s date report by Front Office Sports earlier this year.
The same report also established that female viewership rose 9% from yesteryear season to the 2024 season.
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Numbers talk: Nearly 20% of Americans more interested in football thanks to TS
Before the 2025 NFL season-opening, officials released a new promo featuring more Taylor Swift shots in a 28-second-long clip than a look at numerous high-profile players. Around the time this “Taylor Swift hype video” hit social media, the Lending Tree dropped findings of a new survey, citing how the megastar’s association with the football world had generated unprecedented levels of interest among people.
The report stated that despite not everyone being a big fan of the Taylor Swift/NFL phenomenon, this Bad Blood conspicuously came second, as 17% of Americans have more interest in the sport this season due to Swift’s involvement. Among those, 22% of men were more likely to agree with her impact on making waves for the football world than 13% of women. If that was not all, 14% of Americans also admitted that they would spend more on football this season due to Swift. However, that number ultimately hit the wall, as 44% said they hated what she’s done to the NFL.
Not everyone loved the new NFL promo heavily featuring Taylor Swift
Those negative expressions were avidly evident when the NFL promo, capitalising on Swift’s connection to the sport, took social media by storm.
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Someone came right out and said on X/Twitter, “Genuine question, why is Taylor Swift shown more times in this video than anyone in your actual league?”
A different user echoed the sentiment: “No CJ Stroud? The Offensive Rookie of the Year? But yall gonna show Travis Kelce’s girl 5 times? Aight.”
Similarly, a third NFL fan revisited the league’s name, calling it the “Taylor Swift Football League.”
The survey further highlighted how likely different age-defining demographics were to acknowledge their inflated interest in the sport because of the singer. “Younger generations are also more likely, with 25% of Gen Zers agreeing, compared with 24% of millennials, 14% of Gen Xers and 6% of boomers. However, Gen Zers are also the most likely to say Swift makes them less likely to watch football. Twenty-four percent of Gen Zers say so, versus 17% of millennials and Gen Xers and 13% of boomers.”
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Whatever the numbers, Taylor and Travis undoubtedly have immense respect for each other’s craft. The Grammy-winning artist has not only been an unmissable regular at Kelce’s game but has reportedly started pitching ideas and gameplays. Earlier this month, Kelce said in an interview on “The Rich Eisen Show” that she’s open to learning the game, and her curiosity has led her to create plays just for her beau. On his part, Kelce had already returned the favour beforehand in June when he made his onstage debut alongside his boo at a London Eras Tour show.