Taylor Swift is now impacting the National Football League. Coming off a year with record-setting NFL revenue, rumors of Swift’s involvement with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce might be one of the best things to happen to all three parties in 2023.
The Messenger first reported in early September about a potential relationship between Kelce and Swift, with sources telling them the two had been ‘quietly hanging out’ for weeks. While neither celebrity would confirm the rumors, recent events have made it clear there is a budding connection between the two.
- Travis Kelce career stats: 825 receptions, 10,439 receiving yards, 71 touchdowns
Related: Top-selling NFL jerseys
Kelce recently invited Swift to a Chiefs game, encouraging her to come out and see him play at Arrowhead Stadium. She immediately took him up on that offer, hanging out in a Chiefs’ suite with Kelce’s mom in a Week 3 victory over the Chicago Bears.
With Swift in attendance, Kelce led the team in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (69). He also scored on a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which gave Kansas City a 41-0 lead. After the game ended, cameras spotted Kelce and Swift leaving together.
The unexpected connection between Swift and Kelce is clearly having a positive influence on the NFL’s wallet and will also benefit the Chiefs’ All-Pro tight end.
According to Fanatics, one of the largest sportswear and fan merchandise companies, Kelce’s jersey was in the top five for jersey sales across the NFL on Sunday. To put things in perspective, Fanatics disclosed that Kelce’s jersey sales experienced a 400% spike across Fanatics’ sites and NFLShop.com.
Related: Travis Kelce addresses Taylor Swift rumors
Kelce will receive a percentage of the revenue made from jersey sales, too. However, he’s not the only one benefiting. In addition to the revenue the NFL generates from merchandise sales, Swift’s appearance on camera during the Chiefs vs. Bears game also pulled in a massive audience.
It was the most-watched NFL game in Week 3, outdrawing Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football. Fox recorded an average audience of 24.3 million viewers for the Cheifs vs Bears, game, making it one of the most-watched NFL games this year.
While it’s still unknown if there’s a true “Love Story” between Swift and Kelce, the economic impact generated from the rumors is better than anything in the NFL’s “Wildest Dreams”. While most NFL fans won’t be “Enchanted” with Swift gaining more attention from broadcasters and TV cameras, it’s evident the Swifties are great for the NFL and everyone involved is happy.