Miss Taylor Swift put the National Football League (NFL) in “Style” for many of her fans after revealing her relationship with Kansas City Chief tight end Mr. Travis Kelce.  The NFL’s dogged coverage of the pop star, both during live game coverage and on social media, not only invades the privacy of the couple, but also calls into question the league’s motives.  It is clear that the NFL and broadcasting companies are using Miss Swift’s widespread fame to attract a larger and more diverse audience.  

Miss Swift made her first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium September 24, confirming the media-generated rumors of her romance with Mr. Kelce’s.  She viewed the Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears with Mr. Kelce’s mother from their family box.  During the game, however, Fox News provided Miss Swift with double the amount of airtime than Mr. Kelce.  Miss Swift appeared for a total of 59 seconds, while Mr. Kelce only saw a cumulative 29 seconds the entire game, according to cbsnews.com.

Shortly after her relationship’s Debut, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) used the musician’s publicity to promote viewership of football games.  In fact, NBC used Miss Swift’s song “Welcome to New York” in a commercial to advertise the Chiefs’ prime-time Sunday Night Football game against the New York Jets at MetLife stadium.  MetLife also distributed beaded bracelets displaying 1989, the name of Miss Swift’s fifth album, which she re-released October 27 as 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

Miss Swift’s increasing presence in the NFL has greatly contributed to the growing audience of football games.  On average, there were 27 million individuals watching the Chiefs-Jets game on NBC and Peacock, three million more than the Chiefs game against the Bears, according to dailymail.com.  The viewership of Sunday Night Football for girls aged 12 to 17 increased by 53 percent.  There was also an increase of approximately two million more female spectators, according to cbsnews.com.

Mr. Kelce has his own opinion on the substantial amount of screen time Miss Swift is receiving.  In his podcast, “New Heights,” which he hosts with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Mr. Jason Kelce, Mr. Travis Kelce shared his thoughts on the NFL’s actions.  “I think they’re overdoing it a little bit for sure.  Especially my situation,” Mr. Travis Kelce said. 

The NFL also frequently posts about Miss Swift on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, accounts.  One post on Instagram included a video of Miss Swift talking to her longtime friend Mrs. Blake Lively.  The caption mentioned how the Chiefs had two wins and zero losses with Miss Swift in attendance, according to cbsnews.com.  Additionally, the NFL’s X account published a video of Miss Swift and Mrs. Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chief quarterback Mr. Patrick Mahomes, celebrating Mr. Kelce’s touchdown with a handshake, according to billboard.com. 

Some women who are both football and Miss Swift fans are put off by the situation.  One of these individuals, senior Cait Haggerty, is an avid football and Miss Swift fan.  Last November, she received phone calls from multiple publication sources after posting about the difficulty she faced while attempting to get tickets for the pop star’s Eras Tour.  Cait is also the head of the Sports Broadcasting Club and has enjoyed watching football since she was a young child.  She agreed that the NFL is taking advantage of Miss Swift’s relationship with Mr. Kelce for its own benefit.

“I 100 percent think that the NFL is using Taylor Swift’s name and reputation in order to try and gain more viewers,” Cait said.  “I think it’s incredibly smart marketing on their part because not only are they drawing in football fans, but are also attracting fans of the biggest pop star on the planet right now who may not have watched football before.” 

At a time when Miss Swift is touring the world and continuously gaining popularity, it is no surprise that the NFL and other sources are taking advantage of her relationship with Mr. Kelce.  However, companies are taking Miss Swift’s appearances too far, to the point that coverage of the singer detracts from the sports games.  Ultimately, the situation has become an overdone marketing attempt.  The only solution is to show Miss Swift less or not at all.

Featured Image by Giada Coviello ’24