Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs earned an overtime Super Bowl win against the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11. With the final score of 25-22, the Chiefs were awarded their second Super Bowl in a row.
Reminiscing on the 2023-2024 NFL season, most football enjoyers can agree that the Taylor Swift effect is paramount. Whether you like it or not, Taylor Swift’s relationship with Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, has altered NFL viewership and the Chiefs Franchise as a whole.
It all started on July 8, 2024, when Travis Kelce attended Swift’s Era’s Tour Performance at Arrowhead Stadium. Following the concert, Kelce mentioned in his podcast New Heights, co-hosted with his brother, Jason Kelce, that he was “disappointed” that Swift “doesn’t talk before or after her shows.” Travis mentioned that due to this fact, he was unable to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it.
Fans began to speculate the potential relationship between the two stars, but nothing was yet confirmed. Fast forward to Week 3 of the NFL season, and Taylor Swift was spotted in the bleachers at the Chiefs v. Bears matchup at Arrowhead Stadium to support Kelce and the Chiefs. Following Swift’s attendance, there was a 400% increase in Travis Kelce jersey sales in the days following. After her fist attendance, Swift proceeded to attend most Chiefs games cheering the whole way.
In early December, Taylor Swift was announced Time’s person of the year and in her interview with Time Magazine, Swift confirmed what all fans were speculating – that she is dating Travis Kelce. She also acknowledged the publicity the couple has been receiving, “when you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care… we are just proud of each other…”
Owner of the Kansas City Chiefs franchise, Clarke Hunt, is happy with the influence that Swift has had on the Chiefs season by saying, “Yeah, that’s been so exciting and completely unexpected…We have a lot of ‘Swifties’ in our household who are big fans of her, and it’s been fun to see her and Travis’ relationship develop. We’re so happy for the two of them. As a result, we do have a whole bunch of new fans, and that’s been fantastic. Not only here in North America, but really across the globe.”
The Apex Marketing Group says that, in general, Taylor Swift’s involvement in the NFL has added an estimated $330 million in brand value for the NFL and the Chiefs. While some think that Swift’s influence on the NFL is more negative than positive, the couple remains unbothered.