Taylor Swift’s presence in the NFL has proven to be highly valuable, generating significant brand value. According to Apex Marketing, a leading advertising and branding services company, the Swift-NFL saga, including her rumored relationship with Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce and her appearances at two NFL games, contributed to a total equivalent brand value of $122 million.
The equivalent brand value metric takes into account various factors such as social media, TV, radio, digital news, and print news. This impressive figure was calculated between September 24, the day before Swift’s first Chiefs game, and October 6. During the game, Swift’s enthusiasm was captured on camera as she cheered in excitement when Kelce scored a touchdown. Additionally, their departure together from the game garnered significant attention.
Impact of Taylor Swift on the NFL
The influence that Taylor Swift has had on the NFL in recent weeks cannot be emphasized enough. Her presence has made a measurable impact. For instance, when Swift attended the Chiefs-Jets game last Sunday night, it attracted a record-high viewership, particularly among female fans.
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A New Friendship and Its Impact on NFL Sales
Swift’s new public friendship with Kelce has been making waves, as rumors of a romantic relationship swirl around them. Interestingly, their connection has not only attracted attention but has also led to a significant increase in Kelce-related NFL jersey sales last month. This surge in popularity has been noticed across social media platforms, as Kelce’s Instagram following skyrocketed from 2.7 million to 3.9 million as of Friday. While this is impressive, it still pales in comparison to Swift’s massive fan base of 273 million followers on the Meta-owned platform.
In addition to their newfound friendship, Kelce and his brother have been hosting a highly successful podcast titled “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce,” which currently holds the number one spot on Apple’s podcast charts.
The NFL, recognizing the impact of this friendship, even went as far as updating their bio on X (formerly known as Twitter) to read “NFL (Taylor’s Version).” They accompanied this update with a photo of Swift and Travis Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce, watching a Chiefs game. While Kelce believes that the NFL may be over-emphasizing the Swift coverage, the league sees it differently.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the NFL explained, “We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what’s happening in and around our games, as well as culturally. The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve leaned into in real time, as it’s an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we’ve seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport.”