As the Chiefs get set to defend their two consecutive Super Bowl titles on the field, the organization is also ready for the second year of the Taylor Swift effect in the NFL, and Kansas City in particular.
With the relationship between Swift and Chiefs star right end Travis Kelce still humming, the pop star is expected to once again attend games like she did last season. This fall, Kansas City has three home games before Swift’s tour picks back up in October.
“We’ll be prepared for her, and obviously welcome her with open arms,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in an interview with Front Office Sports.
Donovan said he spoke to Kelce about Swift on multiple occasions last season, including prior to the first game she attended—a Week 3 matchup against the Bears at Arrowhead Stadium. Kelce told the team president that Swift didn’t want to make her attendance a big deal. “I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s fine. Um, it’s Taylor Swift. So, we sort of have to plan for this,’” Donovan said.
Swift’s security detail made a trip to the stadium the day before the game to work something out with Chiefs security. “We had this entire intricate plan,” Donovan said. But that Sunday, Swift decided to enter through a main gate wearing a hat, sunglasses, and COVID mask, and wasn’t noticed by the masses until she was shown on TV. From there, it was all history.
“She wants to be a fan,” Donovan said. “This is her off time. She wants to be there to support Travis. We’re going to create that opportunity where we provide that.”
Indeed, Swift has helped boost NFL viewership, especially for young and female fans, and generated an equivalent brand value of $331.5 million for the Chiefs and the NFL, Apex Marketing Group told Front Office Sports in April.
Although the Chiefs are excited about Swift’s “authentic” NFL fandom, the organization knows it’s in a unique situation in sports. “She brings a lot with her, and it’s a pretty valuable, targeted demographic when you look at the makeup of her fan base,” Donovan said. “And we’ve looked at ways that we could be respectful.”
Last season, the Chiefs never showed Swift on the big screen at Arrowhead Stadium or played one of her songs during a game. “We’re not trying to capitalize on this,” Donovan said. “We’re trying to celebrate it, but it’s not about doing too much or showing her every touchdown or anything like that.”
Listen to Donovan’s full interview with FOS here.
