MOORHEAD — Many folks tune into the Super Bowl year after year for a variety of reasons. It may be for the game itself; it could be for the commercials; it could be for the community and the food, or it could be for the newest edition of this year’s game: Taylor Swift.
Swift, who has started dating Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, has been spotted at numerous games to show support for her significant other. Many assumed that she would make an appearance at the Super Bowl, which she followed through with, taking her getaway car, or her jet, from Japan to the Las Vegas, Nev.
Swift, who was on her international leg of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour was performing in Tokyo, Japan on Feb. 10. Due to time differences, Swift was able to make it to the big game on Feb. 11 with time to spare.
Swift has gained the attention of the National Football League, where she has been regularly featured on their social media platforms, as well as shown during the game, leaving many people to believe that it has been a media stunt or a “PR relationship”. The biggest issue that people had with Swift being featured was the length of time that she was shown during the game.
A whopping 55 seconds of a game that lasted four hours and 18-minutes. Only 0.35% of the game’s screen time dedicated to Swift.
Though she was shown for less than a minute during the four-hour long broadcast, some thought that her presence at the game was going to damage the integrity of the National Football League and the Super Bowl. However, it may have done just the opposite.
The “Swift Lift” may have been in play with the Super Bowl.
The Swift Lift is used to describe the impact that Swift has had on the economies of wherever she has visited. The Mastercard Economics Institute examined the massive booms in sales in a 2.5-mile radius to wherever Swift was performing with her Eras Tour, as well as the spending within a 10-mile radius.
The same concept applies to the Super Bowl and how Swift impacted the economics of the game and the viewership.
Super Bowl LVIII drew in over 123 million people to the game, the viewership was up 7.4% from previous games. This spike in viewership also made this one of the most viewed Super Bowl games of all time.
Swift has also brought in brand value for not only the NFL, but also the Kansas City Chief. $330 million in brand value to be specific, according to NPR. Jersey sales for both the Chiefs and Kelce have also skyrocketed after the confirmation of their relationship.
Though Swift becoming a “WAG” (“Wives and Girlfriends” – a term coined for high profile wives and girlfriends of notable sports players) was not on my 2024 bingo card. Although I personally think that it is such a great impact on the NFL, as it brings in a new generation of people who may not have been interested in watching the sport before.
It brings a new audience to the game that may not have tuned in before and helps bring a fresh perspective to the sport. With a heavily masculinized sport, Swift’s attendance at the game helps show a younger generation, specifically women, that football can be for everyone. Though anyone can be interested in football, there is the idea of football being overly masculine. Swift has helped break down that barrier and help a large audience become interested in football.
Long story short: Taylor Swift has not ruined football, as she has helped the sport reach a new audience and boost the football economy with brand value and jersey sales.
