Swifties at the football: Is it good for the game?

Taylor Swift has placed American Football under the spotlight with her relationship with Travis Kelce.

Anna Nix
22nd February 2024
Image: Flickr All-Pro Reels
If you though that football and pop-culture does not mix, then you might have come to be corrected in the past few months. Football has been impacted by one of the biggest, if not the biggest, popstars of our day, Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift has been attending numerous football games, in between her own stadium shows, supporting her beau Travis Kelce, American football player for the Kansas City Chiefs. Her frequent appearances on TV screens during games has left some football fans frustrated.

Fact is, Taylor Swift has positively impacted NFL. She boosted female viewership, an astonishing 53% increase of female viewers aged 12 to 17, compared to average Sunday Night Football, which is something the NFL has unsuccessfully been trying to do for years.

Apart from bringing in viewers, she generated $331.5 million in brand value for the NFL, which is the amount of money they would have to spend to gain the same media exposure. With Taylor cheering on her boyfriend in the tribunes, they get all of that exposure for free. Even more so, this popstar-footballer relationship has increased sales of No. 87 (Travis Kelce) jersey, by 400%.

Obviously, football fans are a bit touchy about this subject, and rightfully so. If you turn on football, you expect to be watching football and if the camera keeps on spanning over to some popstar it can get annoying. Whereas Swifties – fans of Taylor Swift – have tuned in to watch football, something many of which have admitted as being a first for them.

After the Kansas City Chiefs won against Baltimore Raves 17-10, they are heading to the Super Bowl. Some fans were left worrying whether Taylor will be able to make it to the game to cheer on Travis in person. She is playing a concert in Japan on 10 February, the Super Bowl taking place in Las Vegas on 11 February.

But fret not, the Japanese embassy in Washington assured  fans that even with the 17-hour difference and 12-hour flight, Taylor can make it on time for the game. However, Taylor’s team has neither confirmed nor denied her attendance, therefore it will be a surprise for anyone watching. Whether it be a good or a bad surprise is, of course, up to debate.

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