The “Taylor Swift Effect” on the National Football League (NFL) has manifested in tangible results, backed by compelling data. Since the global pop sensation started dating NFL star Travis Kelce, the league has witnessed a remarkable surge in attention and following.
Taylor Swift‘s influence has attracted fresh audiences and heightened media coverage for America’s premier football league. A recent analysis reveals that the singer-songwriter has helped generate an astounding $1 billion in brand value for the NFL over the past two years.
As Super Bowl 59—the NFL’s marquee event—draws near, MarketWatch published an analysis detailing Swift’s influence on the league. According to data from Apex Marketing, a specialized advertising and branding services firm, the Swift phenomenon has contributed over $992 million to NFL’s brand value since her relationship with Travis Kelce began in 2023.
Kelce, who plays tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs—one of the NFL’s most formidable teams—never officially announced their relationship. However, Swift’s appearances at Chiefs games starting September 2023 ignited widespread interest in the NFL among her devoted fanbase and garnered substantial media attention.
Apex’s analysis showed that from September 2023 through January 2024—culminating at that season’s AFC Championship game—Swift generated $366,753,290 in total equivalent brand value for the NFL. This metric encompasses value across social media platforms, television, radio, digital news, and print media. In the 2024-25 season, Swift’s impact amplified, adding $634,304,163 in equivalent brand value. With Kelce’s participation in the upcoming Super Bowl and Swift’s anticipated attendance, this figure is set to exceed one billion dollars.
Discussing Swift’s impact on the NFL, MarketWatch quoted Apex’s Eric Smallwood saying, “The Swift Effect and the corresponding media exposure continued for the NFL and the Chiefs before the start of the 2024 NFL season. … The media blitz continued as the Chiefs kept winning games and were featured on national broadcasts, leading into the playoffs and now the Super Bowl. Taylor was visible at games, and those appearances garnered media attention from sports-media outlets and those entertainment media outlets not normally covering the NFL.”
Travis Kelce’s media presence has experienced a significant transformation due to the Swift connection. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has witnessed a dramatic surge in his Instagram following—from 2.7 million followers in September 2023 to an impressive 6.7 million currently. Analytics firms report a notable shift in his follower demographics, with young women—a core component of Swift’s fanbase—now comprising the majority of new followers. The NFL has acknowledged this demographic shift, noting that female users represented nearly half of their new TikTok followers in 2024.
The upcoming Super Bowl, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans, is poised to be a media spectacle. The anticipated presence of both Taylor Swift and Donald Trump (I’m expceting boos) is expected to amplify the event’s already substantial buzz.
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