Pop star Taylor Swift started her music career in 2006 and has since taken over the music industry. Her fame has grown at a rapid pace, with her name plastered everywhere, no matter the brand. The NFL is the most recent example of her takeover, according to TMZ.
While this takeover has annoyed many NFL enthusiasts like myself, the NFL has benefited well from it. People call this the “Taylor Effect,” where Swifties follow whatever Taylor is supporting, according to Forbes. This time, it has to do with one lucky star NFL player: Travis Kelce.
On Sept. 12, sources reported NFL tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kelce, was dating the pop star. Swift came to watch the Chiefs vs. Bears game at Arrowhead Stadium alongside Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, only strengthening the credibility of the rumor, according to the Cosmopolitan.
Ever since that day, Taylor took over all of the NFL’s social media pages. The NFL’s Twitter page bio was “NFL (Taylor’s Version)” and its Instagram page bio was, “Chiefs are 2-0 as Swifties.”
This relationship was more than just “dating the boy on the football team,” lyrics from Swift’s song “Fifteen.” The lives of Swifties and NFL enthusiasts have clashed. While many of my Swiftie friends were trying to figure out how football works, I as an NFL enthusiast was trying to get Swift off my social media feed because I saw her more than actual NFL-related posts.
After Kelce said the NFL was overdoing it with the Taylor Swift coverage, they slowed down. NFL released a statement saying all the social media posts of Swift were for a “pop culture moment,” trying to connect the entertainment and sports worlds, according to ESPN,
While many of these enthusiasts, myself included, were annoyed to see Swift everywhere, it did nothing but benefit the NFL’s brand. Ticket prices for Chiefs games shot up 35% and Kelce’s jersey sales went up by 400%, according to NPR. A few of my Swiftie friends have also started watching Chiefs games, which may cause them to get into the NFL and bring them more revenue.
As much as I was annoyed by all the drama and all the times I saw her on TV, I was glad my favorite brand was able to grow, being yet another example of the “Taylor Effect.”
