Super Bowl: between audiences and merchandising, the NFL is already capitalizing on the Taylor Swift effect

Taylor Swift est souvent présente aux matchs des Chiefs, où son copain, Travis Kelce, évolue. EPA – CJ GUNTHER

Already considered the richest league in the world, the NFL continues to get richer by capitalizing on the presence of Taylor Swift in its stadiums, a true American icon.

The NFL American Football League was already the richest in the world, but the arrival of singer Taylor Swift in its landscape, in a relationship with a star player from Kansas City, offered it a marketing boost on which it has already capitalized.

Since September 24, the artist has appeared twelve times at games of her companion, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday in Las Vegas, championship final, against the San Francisco 49ers.

The considerable Swift effect on media popularity

Taylor Swift never spoke there, never gave an interview, and the broadcasters only showed it, on average, for less than 30 seconds per match on screen, rarely mentioning her.

But the interaction has already been enough to produce palpable effects on the accounts of the National Football League (NFL).

"The easiest way to measure it is social media engagement", explains Joe Favorito, consultant and professor at Columbia University.

One week from today. pic.twitter.com/BlTgjZX6Pa

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 4, 2024

The emergence of the most popular singer of the moment has given the NFL in general and the Chiefs in particular additional media exposure equivalent to "millions" of advertising dollars, for the sports marketer.

According to the specialized sites Semrush and Similarweb, the official Chiefs website has seen its traffic jump by more than 40% since September.

And even if it is not possible to formally establish a causal link, Kansas City broke an audience record for its first play-off match, end of January.

A "new audience" in number

"If audience numbers climb, so will advertising space sales", recalls Ashley Brantman, co-head of the sponsorship consultancy agency Jack 39.

"It attracts a new audience", she continues, notably "the "Swifties& ;quot;, Taylor Swift fans, "to see Taylor's boyfriend, but also what she's wearing and who's in the dressing room with her".

A sign that the NFL is not losing anything from the sequence, it has just signed, a few days ago, a partnership with the designer Kristin Juszczyk, best known until now for being there# Wife of San Francisco 49ers player Kyle Juszczyk.

Her popularity skyrocketed after she designed a down jacket for Taylor Swift reminiscent of Travis Kelce's jersey, which the singer wore during a game.

BREAKING: The Grammys top TV market from last night was Kansas City at an 86% increase from last year.

We support Taylor Swift ❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/iXNNhbAJKa

— BBQ Chiefs (@BBQChiefs) February 5, 2024

The 29-year-old designer will design a line of clothing with a more fashionable style than traditional jerseys or caps and thus expand the NFL merchandising offer to other audiences.

"I was one of those who thought the NFL couldn't continue to grow", admits Ashley Brantman, about the championship which brought together some 115 million viewers at the last Super Bowl, an absolute record for all programs combined.

"But I think this (Taylor Swift) just showed that' there is always a consumer to attract", argues Ashley Brantman.

"A new group of fans has entered the ecosystem, mostly women, including young ones." " It connected Taylor fans and NFL fans, in a way", enthused the commissioner at the end of November ) of the NFL, Roger Goodell. "It's great for the league to have this attention."

"The Super Bowl will bring in the most bets since our creation" 

The romance between the singer with 14 Grammys and the player with 2 championship rings also plays out outside the United States for an NFL that has been dreaming of expansion for decades.

"It certainly opened doors for the team and for the league more abroad than in the United States&quot ;, according to Joe Favorito, especially "among fans who knew nothing or had limited knowledge of the NFL".

Another population attracted by the phenomenon, punters, for whom specialized sites have rolled out the red carpet.

They offered to place money on dozens of possibilities during Sunday's game, from the color of Taylor Swift's lipstick to the possibility that' #39;she eats a hot dog.

The star has to rush back from Tokyo after a final concert in Japan on Saturday to attend the match.

"This Super Bowl will bring in the most bets since our creation", 25 years ago, announces AFP Adam Burns, from the site BetOnline.ag.

Gambling websites are going all in on Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl and are now accepting bets for various topics:

-Will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift on field after the game?

-Will Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announce their first pregnancy at the Super Bowl?

-Will… pic.twitter.com/fZ4qCIMb3K

— Variety (@Variety) February 5, 2024

"The NFL's rise to power (natural) plays a lot, but it doesn't no doubt Swift contributed too".

There remains the risk of seeing pure American football aficionados turn away from their sport, tired of its "peopolization".

"No one is going to skip the Super Bowl because of Taylor Swift", Joe Favorito wants to believe. "At this point, everyone has accepted it."