The relationship between Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and singer/songwriter Taylor Swift has sparked headlines ever since its inception back in the summer of 2023. Setting the sports and music world alike on fire, members of both industries have weighed in on the couple and shared any thoughts or stories they had about Kelce and Swift.
These stories have dominated headlines, sometimes to the chagrin of those in the sports world. A recent example of this is NASCAR driver Josh Berry, who has a unique connection with Swift. Berry shared recently on a podcast how often that connection gets brought up.
Josh Berry Went to High School With Taylor Swift
The NASCAR star discussed a fact on the podcast that he’s shared in an interview before: he went to the same high school as the pop star. Berry talked about how while he thought nothing of it, the media would certainly feel differently.
Berry mentions how even though he and Swift didn’t even know each other really, that hasn’t stopped the questions from flooding in.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, I went to school with Taylor Swift.’ You don’t think that’s that big of a deal. But good gosh, man. It never ends.”
The NASCAR Series Cup driver thought he had already been through the worst of it. But that was prior to Swift’s relationship with Kelce, reigniting the flame for Berry to have to put out.
“…and then she starts dating Travis Kelce and it all comes back again…I don’t care about Travis Kelce.”
This sentiment has proven to be shared by many in the sports world. NFL fans specifically have voiced their frustration about how much attention this relationship gets in comparison to the actual game. So much so, actually, that some fans believe she may even be responsible for the record-high salary cap for the 2025 season.
Whether or not Swift had a genuine impact on the increase in the league’s cap, there is no denying her genuine impact on the league’s viewership. The first Chiefs’ game after the megastar and Kelce went public back in 2023 was a regular season game against the Chicago Bears. It was Swift’s first time attending a game in support of the Pro Bowl tight end. While the Chiefs won easily in a 41-10 blowout, the game wildly garnered 24.3 million views, the most of any game that week.
The game saw a sharp increase in women’s viewership as well, a demographic the league has consistently struggled with. With this relationship’s impact on business so clearly positive for the NFL, it’s no secret the pairing will be pushed heavily in the media for as long as the two last together.