Taylor Swift made a splash on the NFL stage a little over two years ago. Since then, her impact on the sport and the NFL fandom has been undeniable. While Swift is often seen as a fiancée cheering on her man from the stands, her celebrity influence goes far beyond that.
Cheryl Cooky, a professor of American studies and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Purdue University, explained that Swift has been a disruptive force in NFL fandom. “What Taylor Swift did was to really, I think, disrupt how we think about NFL fandom, and to carve out a space for girls and women and those outside of, you know, that sort of stereotype of the NFL fan to engage with the NFL and to find joy and pleasure in watching the game for reasons that maybe didn’t have much to do with what was happening on the field, but what was happening off the field,” Cooky said. She added that this form of fandom isn’t always seen as “legitimate” by traditional standards.
Cooky describes Swift as “a catalyst” for discussions about women’s roles within the NFL and how fans’ reasons for tuning in can differ from simply watching the sport itself. Many Swifties shared with me why they watch the games, with several saying they enjoy seeing what Swift is wearing at the events.
Notably, the first Super Bowl Swift attended attracted 58.8 million women viewers, marking the most ever and a 9% increase from the previous year, according to Rayn Glasspiegel of the New York Post, cited by Sports Business Journal.
“She’s creating revenue for the league,” Cooky emphasized. “She’s creating revenue for the Kansas City team. She’s expanding the fan base for the NFL in ways, I think, that are probably more effective than the NFL itself has done through some of their marketing campaigns to include women in the fan base.”
Following Swift’s engagement announcement to Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, sales of Kelce’s jerseys soared. Online sports gear platform Fanatics revealed to TMZ Sports that sales of No. 87 jerseys spiked 200% after the Tuesday morning announcement.
In **The Eras Tour** documentary series “The End of an Era,” Swift mused that she believes every 12th person in the audience at her shows was wearing one of Kelce’s jerseys.
Swift’s influence isn’t limited to NFL games. She also appeared this year on Kelce’s podcast, *New Heights*, which he records with his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce. That particular episode remains the highest-viewed podcast in YouTube history.
“If Taylor is doing something, her fan base is going to follow her to whatever space because she’s cultivated that kind of relationship with her fans,” Cooky explained. “And the fact that this is about her relationship and her romantic life specifically, which has been so central to her music, I think also was drawing fans in as well.”
However, not everyone embraces the media attention Swift receives during NFL games. Some traditional fans see it as a distraction from the sport. Swift, for her part, laughs off the scrutiny with a good-natured nod and shake of the head.
Perry B. Johnson, a professor at the University of Southern California, argues that the NFL and other sports leagues would be thrilled to have Swift’s influence driving interest and revenue. “Part of this willingness by the NFL to participate in the presentation of this relationship suggests there is more economic value to be gained from participating in this,” Johnson said.
She also pointed out that featuring celebrities during games is not a new phenomenon. “Teams work with artists and invite certain figures to sit courtside because they see the value in it,” Johnson said. “What does it mean to photograph Timothy Chalamet at a Knicks game? That is valuable because people tune in who might not otherwise just to see him courtside.”
With Travis Kelce’s potential retirement on the horizon, Swift’s influence on the NFL might evolve, but her fans will undoubtedly continue to follow.
Johnson credits Swift’s loyal and passionate fan base for bringing unprecedented interest to the games. “She has sway,” Johnson said. “She has power, in part because she commands a very loyal, very dedicated, very invested fan base that has been with her for decades. A fan base that shows up—not just for streaming music but that dresses up for her shows, buys merch, buys tickets, and will see her multiple times and travel the world for her.”
Taylor Swift’s unique blend of celebrity, relationship focus, and deep fan loyalty has expanded the NFL’s audience in new and exciting ways, reshaping how fandom is viewed in the sport.
https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2025/12/23/taylor-swift-impact-on-nfl-sports/