Swifties send the Super Bowl into stratosphere as fans seek glimpse
EVERYTHING she touches, or shows even the smallest amount of interest in, seems to turn to gold. Now research has revealed that the Super Bowl is set to be bigger than ever – thanks to the Taylor Swift effect. Respondents who identified as a ‘Swiftie’ said they are now more likely to watch the climax of the American Football season this year than any other year. Streaming service Now TV found that over half – 54% – of Taylor Swift fans in the UK plan on watching the Super Bowl tomorrow evening hoping to catch a glimpse of her in the crowd. Some 13 million fans in the UK and Ireland are planning on tuning in to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. It will be broadcast on Virgin Media One, Sky Sports Main Event and UTV, from 11.30pm. Now TV will also stream the event for subscribers. Taylor Swift, 34, has generated $331.5million for the NFL since she started dating Chiefs star Travis Kelce, 34. Worth over $1.25 billion, she is now the second-richest woman in music, following closely behind Rihanna, 35, who is worth $1.75 billion.
On September 24, Swift attended her first Chiefs game sitting in Kelce’s box – a confirmation of their relationship which had been rumoured for months. Since then, Apex Marketing Group has calculated the singer has made the NFL $331.5million.
The number, which has been calculated between September 24 and January 22, comes from print, digital, radio, TV, highlights and social media mentioning Swift, going back to her first game.
Apex Marketing Group said for reference, the figure sat at $166 million in October.
Ms Swift has gone on to attend 12 of the Chiefs’ 18 games this season – including all three of KC’s playoff matches in the run-up to Super Bowl LVIII. Now, there’s a question of whether she’ll be at the Big Game itself tomorrow – considering her heavily congested schedule.
Her four-day tour of Japan finishes today and she is now expected to make the 8,000km trip from stage to stage to watch her new beau play in the biggest American sporting event in the calendar.
If she does attend, she’ll then be jetting back across the Pacific Ocean shortly after for a three-night spell at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia from February 16-18.
Female viewership of the NFL since Ms Swift started attending games has increased by 9% – giving the league the best numbers on record among women.
Adding to the affluence of the couple, Kelce and his brother, Jason, 36, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, have also seen a huge rise in shirt sales.
Since September 24, when Swift attended her first game, Travis’s jerseys have seen a 400% increase in sales. And Swift fans across social media have been sporting the NFL tops with the hashtag #tayvis.
Business owners have also been quick to jump on the trend after sellers on marketplaces Etsy and Amazon have begun selling and creating merchandise of the pair.
8,000km trip from Japan
Female viewership increased by 9%
T-shirts that read ‘Kelce and Swift’ are being sold for $20 and football jersey-style jumpers with Kelce’s number 87 on them and the lettering ‘Swift’ are being sold for $30. And Amazon’s ‘Go Taylor’s Boyfriend’ apparel sold out instantly after last week’s game.
The couple could also swing the next US election. Republicans have in recent weeks made her the target of smears and conspiracy theories – all because they worry that the couple could swing this year’s election to Joe Biden.