Two of the NFL’s modern-day dynasties will meet in Super Bowl LVIII as the league will likely look to a certain pop icon to help pursue another viewership record.
The San Francisco 49ers, playing in their fourth NFC Championship Game in five seasons, clinched the conference title with a 34-31 win late Sunday over the upstart Detroit Lions. The 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs, who won their fourth AFC title in five years with a 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens and extended a historic run of success over the past six seasons, taking it to new heights of popularity this year thanks to tight end Travis Kelce’s romantic relationship with pop star Taylor Swift.
“One of the things I think [the team] is best at is being consistent, no matter what’s going on,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said after Sunday’s game. “That’s an important message when you’re being successful, but it’s even more important, I think, when things aren’t working for you.”
The NFL will now head to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the first Super Bowl held in the sports industry boom town. Thanks to additional viewers likely to be attracted to the game by the Chiefs’ connection to Swift—who has attended each of the team’s three playoff games but faces a far greater logistical challenge for Super Bowl LVIII—the league will look to beat last year’s record-setting average audience of 115.1 million viewers.
The Feb. 11 game will be a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, won four years ago by Kansas City. The matchup will have a strong viewership foundation fortified by a banner campaign that included growth in the regular season and then the wild card and divisional playoff rounds, with more bullish totals expected for Sunday’s conference title games.
