Taylor Swift single-handedly added millions to the US economy, ever since she kicked off her Eras Tour. The pop star’s global influence is unprecedented and now this influence has reached over to infiltrate the world of sports. Her alleged romance with Chiefs’ TE Travis Kelce has boosted visibility for the NFL like never before.
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The 2023 NBA finals averaged 11.6M viewers, NFL’s regular games recorded an average of 16.7M viewers last season. In contrast, last week’s “Sunday Night Football” recorded an average of 27 million viewers, becoming the most-watched Sunday TV show since last year’s Super Bowl. The Taylor Swift effect is clearly in full effect.
Taylor Swift Brings Female Power to Boost NFL Viewership
No matter what critics might say, Taylor Swift’s effect on the game is clearly visible. The Chiefs vs. Jets game at one point saw a viewership of almost 30 Million during the second quarter. The biggest and most obvious statistic pointing at Swift’s influence was in the demographic gains.
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Girls aged 12 to 17 witnessed a remarkable 53% surge, while women aged 18 to 24 experienced a 24% rise. Additionally, women over the age of 35 saw a substantial 34% increase in viewership. Taylor Swift’s appearance further brought significant national focus to the game, making it the most-watched professional football matchup of the current season.
The Chiefs-Jets game put up BIG numbers:
• 27 million average viewers
• Teen girl viewership up 53%
• Most watched Sunday show since Super Bowl LVIIFor context, the 2023 NBA Finals averaged 11.6 million viewers on ABC.
No wonder the NFL is going all in on Taylor Swift. pic.twitter.com/0obLAAt8fz
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) October 2, 2023
Did the Popstar Put Travis Kelce on the Map?
The Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift romance is all anyone has been able to talk about ever since her first appearance at a Chiefs game. Social media has been abuzz with chatter about the two, with hilarious trends and memes cropping up about the two. Taylor Swift might not have put Kelce on the map, but the sweeping effect she has had is undeniable.
After her appearance at Arrowhead, the All-pro TE’s jersey sales saw a whopping 400% increase in sales, catapulting him to the top five spot in jersey sales. The Swifties have seemingly taken over the American Football landscape. According to Forbes, Kelce added over 300,000 followers almost immediately after the popstar’s sighting. The audience on his podcast with brother and Eagles’ center Jason Kelce, called ‘New Height’ also skyrocketed, ranking them first on Apple’s charts. During Sunday’s game, CBS cut to Swift’s live reactions 17 times, giving the Swifties something to look forward to.
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It’s not just the TE who seems to be benefitting from Swift’s presence, ticket sales have been spiking for future games as well. The Chiefs sold more tickets in a single game since the start of the 2023 season, and Stubhub reported a threefold increase in Chiefs’ ticket searches.
Taylor Swift is currently on a break from her tour but will be back in earnest in November and she will no longer be able to attend these games. Will the mania persist, however, or should the NFL make the most of the halo effect while it still can?
