Swifties Take Over The NFL

Is Taylor Swift’s new presence in the stadiums benefiting or harming the NFL?

When hoards of love-enthusiast, music-addicted Swifties meet masses of alcohol-loving, competitive, NFL fans, a disagreement is bound to take place. September 2023, Taylor Swift attended her first Kansas City Chiefs game and confirmed the suspicions of her alleged relationship with tight end, Travis Kelce. This new development sparked interest among fans nationwide, causing the NFL to ride the new publicity wave. But with the rising popularity of Swift in the NFL, hardcore football fans argue that she is taking over the “supposed-to-be” football-centered league.

Although controversial, the benefits that Taylor has brought to the NFL are undeniable. The NFL is notoriously known to be a male-dominated league as their desperate attempts to increase their female viewership have been in vain. However, Taylor Swift’s new relationship with Travis Kelce not only turned the eminent pop star into a frequent viewer, but also dragged along the flock of fervent Swifties, eager to watch a love story play out. Taylor’s mere presence at NFL games has already led to a 53% increase in female viewers aged 12 to 17 and a new viewership peak (Forbes). She is single-handedly converting a hyper-masculine environment to incorporate femininity, a feat that the NFL could not seem to achieve on its own. Kevin Van Valkenburg, a football-loving dad, tweeted the thoughts of many fathers, writing, “I actually feel bad for the Brads, Chads, and Angry Dads who spent the year complaining about Taylor Swift interrupting their football because I spent the season trading Swift/Kelce memes with my 14-year-old daughter…and now it’s like a fun thing we share? Which is freaking awesome?” (USA Today).

Although viewership and publicity have reached a new high, people think that Taylor is becoming the center of attention, deprioritizing the actual football game and hard-working athletes. Stadiums show the pop star frequently on the screen, causing anger among hardcore NFL fans, ensuing a chorus of enraged boos. Some watchers even purposely root for the Chief’s opposing team out of frustration towards Swift. 

However, some people believe that the NFL does this to keep the devoted Swifties entertained and feeling “at home” so the fans return to watch even more games, yearning for Swift to finally reach her happy ending. Additionally, on Superbowl Sunday, the NFL gained 9.8 million dollars through earned media coverage due to Taylor Swift (USA Today). Watching the superbowl on TV myself, there was not a single advertisement break in which there wasn’t a reference to the singer.

Ultimately, the NFL’s reliance on the pop star has deterred the attention of fans from the athletes to the singer who is only there to support her boyfriend, not to be on the big screens. Even though her presence has benefitted the NFL in many different ways, they need to remain focused on the original purpose of the league. Quoting directly from the NFL, “No matter how much we accomplish, no matter how successful we are, no one is bigger than the game.”

Michelle Cai