The NFL's Latest Marketing Play: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest stars in music with an incredibly engaged fan base. Over the years the singer has generated as much interest in her personal life as she has in her music, and her most recent relationship is no exception.

News recently broke that Swift is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has been photographed attending some of Kelce’s games in his suite with family and friends, and the NFL immediately jumped on the opportunity to use her appearances as marketing moments.

How the NFL Used Taylor Swift in Its Marketing

The NFL frequently updates its social media profiles to highlight key games happening that week. Recently on Instagram and X, the NFL highlighted Swift’s attendance at Chiefs games to generate interest and engagement.

During her second game appearance, the cameras cut to her 17 times throughout the game. Featuring her so many times created excitement among her fan base who likely tuned in hoping to see her.

Why is the NFL doing this?

Taylor Swift’s fan base, also known as “Swifties” are some of the most engaged fans in pop culture. Swift’s Eras tour was one of the year's most popular attractions, generating $2.2B in North America.

With her entering WAG territory, her fans are now interested in football. The recent Chiefs-Jets game she attended averaged 27 million viewers, making it the second-highest-watched game of the regular season. Viewership among teen girls (a firm demographic in Swift’s fan base) is up 53%.

Kelce has also benefitted from the frenzy. Sales of Kelce’s jersey saw a 400% spike after news broke of the relationship, and he’s gotten an influx of Instagram followers.

Is it too much too soon?

What started off as lighthearted coverage reached a bit of a saturation point, as voiced by Kelce. Like many celebrity pairings, there is also speculation that the relationship is fake and purely for PR.

While the longevity and authenticity of the relationship are TBD, the NFL will likely continue capitalizing on the moment as long as it can.