If you watched any of last night’s Sunday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets, you were reminded several times of who Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is dating. While it seems like the NFL world is fully embracing Taylor Swift and everything that comes with the megastar, has the story run its course?
The answer to that question depends on who you ask, and as the numbers for Week 4 across the NFL start to trickle out, there seems to be a discrepancy in the numbers when it comes to Swift and the attention it may or may not be bringing in.
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Are NFL Fans Over the Taylor Swift Story?
While some fans may be eating up the Swift-Kelce pairing, TMZ reported early Monday that it looks like the storyline may be losing its steam and interest across the league.
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce NFL Ratings Down 4 Million From Previous Week https://t.co/BGlHBFleRR
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 2, 2023
TMZ is reporting that interest in the couple has translated into a downward spike in ratings related to Kelce and Swift this week compared to last. Four million views, to be exact, is what TMZ is reporting, with the outlet citing statistical evidence that the story may have run its course amongst the NFL community.
Is Swift’s NFL Story Only Just Beginning?
While TMZ seems to think the Swift story is on its way out of the NFL spotlight, some seem to think the numbers are booming, especially within the female demographic.
The Taylor Swift impact: Viewership among teen girls (age 12-17) spiked 53% from the season-to-date average of the first three weeks of SNF, while the audience among women aged 18-24 was up 24%, and women 35+ increased 34%, per Nielsen.
The combined growth led to an approximate… https://t.co/usj0bev2Ah
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 2, 2023
Obviously, what Meirov is reporting makes sense, but it directly competes against what TMZ is reporting, and it now becomes a case of who you trust more to have the more accurate source.
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Viewership being on the rise rather than the alternate is clearly a good thing for the NFL, so those around the league and invested in its success are naturally going to report or hope the increase continues to happen. In addition to the spike within the female demographic, Meirov is also reporting that the overall numbers were record-breaking last night as well.
NBC announced that Sunday night's #Chiefs–#Jets game averaged 27 million viewers, making it the most-watched show since the Super Bowl.
Another huge night for the NFL.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 2, 2023
While who you choose to believe is entirely up for debate, one thing that cannot be disputed is that we are over three weeks into a storyline regarding a player’s dating life with a global megastar, and even if the ratings have actually started to plateau for the NFL, it’s been a mission accomplished for the league as they are certainly not complaining about the attention.