Highlights
- The "Taylor Swift Effect" brought the NFL $122 million in brand value and increased ticket sales and viewership.
- Travis Kelce could earn an additional $5 million since dating Taylor Swift, and his merchandise sales increased by 400%.
- The Kansas City Chiefs' recent losing streak has been dubbed the "Taylor Swift Curse" by fans, but some blame the team's poor performance on other factors.
Recently, stand-up comic, Jo Koy bombed while hosting the Golden Globes after joking about the NFL's "Taylor Swift Effect." In September 2023, the 12-time Grammy winner broke the internet when she attended the game of her boyfriend Travis Kelce, who is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Their romance started when Kelce watched Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour and failed to give her his number. The athlete revealed that the Cruel Summer songstress "doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings."
Fast-forward to 2024, the couple are still together and even spent New Year's Eve together in Kansas City. But while they seem to be happy, fans aren't pleased with the "Taylor Swift Curse" that's allegedly plagued the Chiefs. Here's the singer's real impact on the NFL.
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The NFL Made $122 Million In Brand Value From The "Taylor Swift Effect"
In October 2023, MarketWatch reported that Swift created a brand value of $122 million for the NFL. That was just from the day she went on Kelce's game alongside his mom. The couple left together after the event, as seen in a viral clip.
The Chiefs won over the Chicago Bears (41-10) that night. As a result, the NFL changed their Twitter/X bio to "we had the best day with you today" — a line from Swift's song The Best Day from her second studio album, Fearless (2008).
Three days later, there was a 175% increase in sales on the ticketing platform, Stubhub. It was for the Chiefs-Jets game, which is now the second-highest selling game of the NFL season. They also had over 24 million viewers – the most-watched NFL broadcast of that week.
In January 2023, the NFL's regular season viewership unexpectedly decreased by 3%.
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Experts Said Travis Kelce Could Earn $5 Million More Since Dating Taylor Swift
Two days after Swift showed up at Kelce's game in September 2023, Business Insider wrote that the footballer could earn $5 million more since dating the Love Story hitmaker. So it's no wonder fans think Kelce is "using" Swift's fame for his career.
Since the Lavender Haze performer's NFL cameo, sales of Kelce's merchandise went up 400%. "It's estimated Kelce currently makes around $5 million a year in off-the-field earnings, and I wouldn't be surprised if he doubles that number," said sports analyst Bob Dorfman at Pinnacle Advertising.
"Kelce was already one of football's most successful endorsers before his hot romance, but now he's sizzling hot — swiftly grabbing the attention and buying power of a whole new fan base and demographic," he added.
OpenSponsorship CEO, Ishveen Jolly, also noted that "we are already seeing more interest in brands around Travis because he's tapping into a new audience of Taylor's." Icon Source's CEO Chase Garrett, went on to state that "sometimes, these moments can be distracting to an athlete, but with the proper structure in place, it is a great opportunity to maximize a moment for deal flow."
Travis Kelce's net worth is $40 million, the amount Taylor Swift makes from just four shows of her Eras Tour. She's worth $1.1 billion.
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The Kansas City Chiefs' Recent Losing Streak Has Been Called The "Taylor Swift Curse"
By December 2023, it seemed like the "Taylor Swift Effect" had worn out. By Christmas, the Chiefs had lost four of their last five games. Fans called it the "Taylor Swift Curse." The team also faced controversy after quarterback, Patrick Mahomes had a couple of meltdowns on the field that month, with Kelce joining him on the second one.
on Christmas Day, Kelce and Mahomes slammed their helmets to the ground after their 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The latter was was then fined $50,000 after yelling at the offensive linemen. Disappointed fans joked, "Patrick Mahomes meltdown 👀 The curse of Taylor Swift." A Twitter user even reminded fans that Swift cursed the NBA, too:
"Taylor Swift curse: she doomed teams in the NBA (when she visits and as long as she stays - local teams lose), she has ruined the Chiefs (Kelce can't catch and they’ll be on the road for the first time since Mahomes started)."
But for NFL staff writer, Matt Verderame, the team should be held accountable for Mahome's outburst. "The Chiefs have shattered Patrick Mahomes. This offense is an embarrassment to the sport," he tweeted. "KC has serious soul-searching to do after it quickly gets bounced from the playoffs."
A week after Taylor Swift's first-ever visit to Travis Kelce's game, the NFL's ratings went down due to "Taylor Swift Fatigue."
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