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I’ll be 87, you’ll be 89: How the NFL is benefitting from Taylor Swift

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SPU chapter.

What do Taylor Swift and Sunday Night football have to do with each other? More than you might think. If you haven’t already heard the news, superstar singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and NFL Player Travis Kelce are the internet’s newest celebrity couple! The two have been seen together on multiple occasions, but the biggest spectacle so far has been Swift’s attendance at Kelce’s recent football games where he plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Out of all of Swift’s previous relationships, fans seem to be particularly excited about this match. It all started when Kelce attended Swift’s “Eras Tour,” coming prepared with a friendship bracelet that displayed his phone number. Unfortunately, he was unable to give the bracelet to Swift as she does not see visitors pre/post show in order to preserve her voice. 

Luckily, Kelce didn’t stop there– He invited Swift to attend a Kansas City Chiefs game on September 24th, saying “I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead, and see which one’s a little more lit.” She happily accepted, and things have moved pretty quickly from there, as Swift has now attended multiple games, and the two have been spotted riding off together in “the getaway car.” 

But what makes this couple particularly fascinating is just how much their relationship has impacted the NFL’s revenue and fan base. Here are a few stats to briefly summarize what many are calling “The Taylor Swift Effect”: 

  • Fanatics, the NFL’s official apparel partner, saw a 400% increase in sales of Kelce’s jerseys on September 24th, the day Swift attended her first Chief’s game 
  • Kelce has gained half a million followers on Instagram
  • While there was no effect on TV Ratings for the September 24th game, the Chiefs vs Jets game the following week saw a huge bump in ratings, specifically from women, resulting in an increase of more than 2 million female viewers
  • The league has seen 200 million views on all their social media content related to the new couple

It is impossible to deny the effect of Swift and her diehard fans. Not only has the new couple been immensely beneficial for the NFL, but the two celebs are rapidly bringing families, couples, and friends even closer together! 

Countless boyfriends have begged their girlfriends to watch a game with them. Dads across the country have wanted their daughters to enjoy Sunday Night Football. Now, thanks to Swift, they are finally agreeing! 

The NFL is definitely rooting for the Swift-Kelce relationship, and hoping it will go the distance. To show their support, the league presented an intro before the opening kickoff of the Chiefs vs Jets game, led by Carson Daly and the cast of ‘The Voice’, welcoming Swifties and explaining the upcoming game using Swift’s lyrics and song titles. They even debuted “Welcome to New York (Taylor’s Version)” during the intro. The league has made their support for this couple abundantly clear as they frequently cut to Swift having the time of her life at the game, letting all the Swifties know: yep, she’s here! 

Who would have thought a celebrity couple could have such a tremendous impact! Football is being introduced to a whole new audience, bringing friends and families with all different interests together. Ratings and sales have increased exponentially, and there is an overall positivity around the sport; and it’s all due to Swift’s dedicated fans. It truly is something out of the NFL’s wildest dreams!

Sources & more information can be found using the links below:

https://www.glamour.com/story/taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-timeline

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/nfl-taylor-swift-era-female-fans-1235614539/

Katie is a transfer sophmore at SPU, majoring in Early Childhood Education. She is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and spent the last two years as a youth ministry intern, working with middle school students and guiding them through the challenging pre-teen years. This is Katie's first year writing for HER Campus, and she is excited to join the team! She loves all things pop-culture and is looking forward to writing about topics she is interested in. In her freetime, Katie enjoys discovering new coffee shops, reading, watching sunsets, traveling, and going to concerts! She is a major Swiftie (Taylor Swift Fan) and her favorite TV show is Gilmore Girls.