Taylor Swift strutted into Arrowhead Stadium for the first time in September 2023 to cheer on her boyfriend Travis Kelce, and the stars aligned for the NFL world.
Swift’s presence has brought several new eyeballs to the league but nothing compares to the rise in the NFL’s brand value.
The Taylor Swift Effect on National Football League
The global pop star’s presence on the stands, at Arrowhead and at the most important Chiefs games for nearly a year and a half, has added close to a billion dollars in brand value.
Since she first appeared at a Kansas City Chiefs game in 2023, the league has seen an unprecedented surge in engagement, particularly among women and younger audiences.
According to Market Watch’s estimates, Swift’s influence across social media, TV, radio, and digital and print news has contributed an estimated $992,361,912 in brand value to the NFL.
🚨REPORT: TAYLOR SWIFT HAS MADE THE #NFL NEARLY ONE BILLION DOLLARS SINCE SHE STARTED DATING TRAVIS KELCE.
Travis Kelce's Instagram followers skyrocketed from 2.7 million to 6.7 million. The NFL's TikTok saw over 50% new female followers in 2024.
HISTORIC.
(Via Market Watch) pic.twitter.com/BOCtid9pvF
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) February 7, 2025
The numbers tell the story. Last year, Travis Kelce’s Instagram following exploded from 2.7 million to 6.7 million, while the NFL’s TikTok saw over a 50% increase in female followers in 2024.
Among women aged 13 to 24, social media consumption of NFL content spiked. A Chiefs marketing executive revealed that women now make up 57% of the team’s audience, which far exceeded the 46% league average. Among girls aged 8 and older, 56% are now NFL fans, highlighting a shift that aligns directly with Swift’s presence.
The shift isn’t just digital. Jersey sales for Kelce saw a 400% jump after Swift’s first game, and the NFL posted about her 34 times, generating 170 million impressions.
Even viewership reflected the impact as the Super Bowl LVIII set a record with 123.7 million average viewers, largely driven by a 24% jump in female viewers aged 18 to 24.
The league had been working on appealing to women for years, but Swift’s entry to the suites accelerated that momentum in ways no one could have predicted.
Beyond the NFL, Swift’s influence is reshaping sports culture. The Kansas City Monarchs, for instance, saw their attendance more than double during their Swift-themed game, proving that her appeal translates to ticket sales in various sports.
Meanwhile, many fans believe that Kelce has delivered better performances in the presence of his lady on the field.
The Controversy Around Swift’s Effect on NFL
While the 14-time Grammy winner has truly benefited the sports industry, her impact isn’t without controversy.
Some traditional fans have pushed back against the heightened focus on Swift during broadcasts.
Fox News continues attacking Taylor Swift.
Fox and Friends hosts argued against Taylor Swift's appearance at NFL games, saying that her presence is “taking away from what’s happening on the field.”
Co-host Will Cain said that seeing pretty girls in the game is “what we have… pic.twitter.com/1mwsgI1sQo
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 18, 2024
Adding fuel to the fire, a few conspiracy theories swirled about the legitimacy of her relationship with Kelce, and some critics have questioned whether the NFL is leaning too hard into the “Taylor Swift effect.”
However, the league isn’t turning back.
NFL senior VP Ian Trombetta echoed that sentiment, acknowledged her effect last year, saying, “There are very few people on the planet—maybe not any—who have the type of influence that Taylor Swift has right now. So yeah, it’d be kind of ridiculous for us not to lean into it and have some fun, right?”
Swift didn’t just bring her Swifties army to football, but she’s changed how sports view female audiences. Then again, nearly a billion dollars later, the NFL is seeing the undeniable power of the Swift effect.
