Taylor Swift is still filling US football stadiums, even while taking a break from her Eras Tour. Here’s everything you need to know about why Swifties are already in the NFL.
On a break from one of the most successful tours in history, Taylor Swift has again achieved the impossible: Getting non-Americans to pay attention American football.
Swift’s appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game last week to cheer on her rumored love interest, tight end Travis Kelce, caused a global media frenzy and put Kansas City (which, in confusing, not in the state of Kansas) on the world stage.
The pop superstar fueled the rumor mill again on Sunday when she brought an A-list posse – including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman – at another Chiefs game in New York City.
The Chiefs may have won the Super Bowl this year, but the attention they’re getting now that Swifties around the world have been activated to a whole new level.
The team and the National Football League (NFL) as a whole have benefited from the so-called “Taylor Swift effect.”
NFL ticket sales and viewership are up
“Sunday Night Football” is already the most-watched primetime show in the US, but the Chiefs game on Sept. 24, when Swift first attended, saw a 63 percent week-over-week increase in viewership among women. ages 18 to 49, Swift’s prime. fan demographics.
Travis Kelce’s football jersey sales have increased 400 percent since rumors of his romance with Swift began.
And ticket sales for the Jets’ game against the Chiefs also soared, with one-day sales more than doubling the previous record for this season, according to ticket sales platform StubHub.
Stubhub said Sunday’s game was the second-highest selling game of the NFL season after the season opener.
Taking advantage of the new audience, US broadcasters often cut shots of Swift celebrating with Kelce’s mother and her friends at Sunday’s game, much to the chagrin of some football fans.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone from the nfl told the commentary to mention taylor swift as often as possible,” Reddit user wordtomytimbsB wrote in a thread about Sunday’s game on the subreddit r/nfl.
Conspiracy theories even began to circulate that the referees had rigged the game in Chiefs’ favor to keep Swift fans interested in the game. The Chiefs defeated the Jets, 23-20.
Reddit user Dingos8mybaby2 wrote: “The NFL is moving the game to try and not let ‘Taylor Swift’s team’ lose on national TV while the Swift story is fresh. Thousands of ‘Swifties’ are tuning in game just to see his vision and ‘their’ team winning gives a better chance for some of them to become NFL fans.
Are they or aren’t they? Swift and Kelce did not speak
Both Swift and Kelce have kept quiet about their relationship status. Kelce said on his “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” podcast earlier this week that Swift “looked amazing” at the game.
“Everybody’s talking about him and in a good light,” he said of Swift’s time spent in his Chiefs stadium suite. “And on top of that, you know, it’s been a perfect day for Chiefs fans. Of course, we’re going to write it all down, ladies and gentlemen.
Obviously, Kelce made the first move. The footballer invited Swift to his game after trying – and failing – to get her a friendship bracelet when she Era Tour stopped in Kansas City.
Swift fans famously sold friendship bracelets with the names of her songs on them during her most recent tour.
The tradition comes from his song “You’re On Your Own, Kid” from his latest album “About midnight,” inspired by the lyrics about connecting people through friendship bracelets: “Because there are pages turned bridges burned / All you lose is one step you take / So make friendship bracelets , take the chance and taste it / You have nothing to fear.”
Kelce’s friendship bracelet for Swift has her phone number instead of a song reference.
In any case, Kelce said he’s trying to keep a sense of humor about the whole thing.
“It’s hilarious how much traction it’s gotten,” Kelce said on a talk show. “It’s like an old school game called ‘Telephone,’ where everyone just whispers to each other, just hears a few random things. No one really knows what happened. ”
Swift is currently taking a break from her Eras Tour – the 12-time Grammy award winner will continue the tour on 9 November in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
