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‘One of the Best Things To Happen’ – Giants Legend Credits Travis Kelce’s Girlfriend Taylor Swift for NFL’s Growth

The Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty has many faces. From Andy Reid, the legendary head coach and three-time Super Bowl champion, to Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, one of the most iconic and dominant duos in NFL and playoff history, one figure stands out for the media impact she brought not just to the franchise, but to the sport itself: Taylor Swift.

Kelce’s girlfriend is also the biggest pop star in the world right now, and her relationship with the Chiefs’ star brought major spotlight to the league. Despite also drawing plenty of negative commentary, former player and current analyst Michael Strahan spoke about the positive impact Swift has had on the NFL’s global growth.

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Michael Strahan Acknowledges Taylor Swift’s Impact on the NFL

In October 2023, Kelce and Swift revealed they were in a relationship, and instantly, the NFL world and the pop world collided. After all, the biggest pop star of the moment was now dating the top active tight end, on the most media-covered team since Mahomes entered the NFL.

Swift’s presence at games became headline news across media outlets and brought a new audience to football. Her fans, known for their fierce support of the singer, started tuning into sports channels to watch their idol’s boyfriend play and catch glimpses of her cheering from the suites.

For Strahan, this moment was one of the most important for the NFL’s rise in popularity, and in a conversation with Sports Business Journal, he said: “Sports have leaked into pop culture… Taylor Swift is one of the best things to happen to the NFL.”

 

Swift, who has over 80 million monthly listeners on Spotify, mobilized a massive portion of her fan base to start engaging with football as well. In 2023, when she went public with her relationship with the athlete, it’s estimated that the Chiefs generated around $331.5 million from the media exposure Swift brought, according to Front Office Sports.

Between the end of the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the impact was even greater, with estimated revenue reaching $634.3 million. The NFL’s revenue grows every year, and Swift acted as a catalyst for a trend that was already on the rise, a process that was accelerated by her presence.

In addition, the singer helped grow the female fanbase both for the league and for the Chiefs, something that has long been a challenge for the NFL in a sport so heavily dominated by men. It’s estimated that 57% of the Chiefs’ current fanbase is made up of women — a significantly higher number compared to the NFL average, which is around 46%.

Many have call this phenomenon as the “Taylor Swift Effect”. Still, a portion of the fanbase can’t stand seeing Swift involved in football-related topics, and she is frequently booed whenever shown on stadium video boards.

One awkward moment came during the last Super Bowl, when the singer was clearly uncomfortable with the amount of booing and hostile behavior in the stadium. It’s a disproportionate reaction toward someone who isn’t doing any harm and only appears for a few seconds during broadcasts.

But it’s no coincidence that the last two Super Bowls broke viewership records. In 2024, Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chiefs drew 123.7 million viewers, and it was surpassed by this year’s edition, which saw the Philadelphia Eagles crowned champions over the same Chiefs, with 127.7 million tuning in.

The league truly needs to embrace the exposure the singer has brought to the sport. With the NFL’s ongoing global expansion, bringing games to Brazil, Spain, and Ireland already in 2025, now is the perfect time to leverage as many influential figures as possible to turn the NFL into not just an American product, but a massive global league.

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