Is Taylor Swift Helping the NFL?
Taylor Swift received 55 seconds of screen time — from kickoff to the end of overtime — during Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11. Throughout the regular season, she was consistently seen on television at Kansas City Chiefs games supporting their tight end and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
Swift made her first appearance during the Kansas City vs. Chicago Bears game on Sep. 5 but immediately sparked controversy. Some viewers are frustrated with the level of attention she attracts during the games claiming she is taking the attention away from the sport.
For example, Henry De Tolla took to his TikTok account @h00pifyreacts to explain why he feels Swift is “ruining the NFL.”
“The whole league literally revolves around her now,” De Tolla said in a video he posted on Oct. 2. “The whole opening of Sunday Night Football was just a bunch of Taylor Swift puns, and it was like the most annoying thing I’ve ever heard.”
He went on to cite other frustrations he has with Swift’s presence at the Kansas City games throughout the video. This one-minute TikTok received 545.9K views, 52.9K likes, 4,927 saves and 2,533 shares.
The 2,188 comments were mixed. Some agreed with De Tolla. One user, @DeeShizzle, commented, “I agree. Like is this a fashion show or football?” Others criticized where he placed his blame. User @mackenzie.b wrote, “EVERYONE HAS TO REALIZE ITS NOT HER FAULT. She can date whoever she wants. It’s the NFL's fault for showing her multiple times and making a huge deal out of it. No matter who she dates this is still going to happen. Please stop hating on her when it’s not her fault.”
Another group of commenters mentioned how she benefits the NFL. User @C.J wrote, “NFL is so smart though, she’s such good marketing.”
The NFL is a business, and the numbers do not lie. Swift's appearances have boosted brand revenue, Kelce jersey sales and viewership.
Apex Marketing Group found she brought in an additional $331.5 million in brand value for the Chiefs and the NFL. CBS Sports reported that Kelce’s jersey sales increased by approximately 400%. This year’s AFC Championship game, which involved Kansas City, was the most watched in history with over 55 million tuning in. Super Bowl LVIII also recorded a record number of viewers at 127 million.
Associate Professor of Sport Management at Elon University Shaina Dabbs discussed Swift’s effect on the NFL with her research methods in one of the Sports classes she teaches.
Dabbs wanted her class to figure out the importance of having data to back up or answer questions such as “Did Taylor’s presence at the games change the narrative around the NFL?” she said.
The authentic nature of her appearances is what Dabbs felt made this marketing strategy powerful.
“What made it so special was that it wasn’t staged, it wasn't scripted,” she said. “I think the authenticity around it would be something the NFL as to how we can present — whether that’s branding or marketing — a message that is truly authentic to gain a broader audience.”
Elon’s Head Football Coach Tony Trisciani also recognized the positives that have come from Swift’s NFL presence.
“I think it’s good [Swift’s screen time] for the NFL because the NFL is an entertainment business,” Trisciani said. “So the more people that are watching the NFL and the “Swifties” who want to, you know, the Swifties that she and he have brought to the NFL helps the overall product.”
During the Super Bowl specifically, the NFL did a good job of limiting her, he continued.
As the NFL season came to a close with a Kansas City victory, the conversation regarding Swift’s relationship with the league will likely subside…until next season. However, she has attracted a new demographic to the league and the sport of football entirely.
“Now we have new football fans,” Dabbs said. “That has to be a positive. That has to be a benefit to the sport that we love.”
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