NFL’s Swift Mania Starting To Show Impact Through Merch Sales, Viewership

It’s been two days since Taylor Swift took over the NFL’s coveted late-Sunday afternoon window by attending the Chicago Bears-Kansas City Chiefs game amid rumors she’s dating star tight end Travis Kelce.

Now, evidence is mounting that the pop star’s appearance at Arrowhead Stadium is positively impacting all parties involved.

The Fox broadcast of Chiefs-Bears, which drew 24.3 million viewers, was the most-watched game of the week and topped many key female demographic categories. While the overall number is down from the late-afternoon Week 3 window in 2022 — a Green Bay Packers’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drew 26.39 million viewers — Fox reportedly saw an increase in the female 12-17 demo, up 8.1% from Week 3 last year.

Data from Roku TVs shows that Chiefs-Bears earned a 63% increase in female viewers age 18-49 over the Chiefs-Jacksonville Jaguars game last week, which aired on CBS at 1 p.m. ET. 

The Chiefs’ next game this weekend is a “Sunday Night Football” matchup at the New York Jets — and Swift has a home in New York.

Kelce’s Spotlight

The affiliation with Swift is increasing interest in Kelce, too.

Fanatics saw a nearly 400% spike in the tight end’s jersey sales after Sunday’s game, making him a top-five seller in the NFL.

Meanwhile, “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” — the podcast co-hosted by the star NFL brothers — currently ranks first on the Apple charts and fourth in Spotify’s rankings, where it’s also the top sports podcast.