The ball travels through the air and is caught in the end zone to the roars of the thousands in attendance. The camera shows the receiver, celebrating with his teammates, and then… Taylor Swift?
Since last September, global pop star phenom Taylor Swift has captivated fans, and more notably, TV cameras, by her presence at Kansas City Chiefs games due to her recently-emerged relationship with Chiefs’ star tight end Travis Kelce.
Since first grabbing national attention when Swift was seen walking into the Chiefs matchup against the Bears on Sept. 24, the reigning Super Bowl champions have boasted a 9-3 record with the pop star in attendance, maintaining a +83 point differential in that span. The Chiefs, again with Swift in attendance, punched their ticket to their second consecutive Super Bowl on Jan. 28, after defeating the Baltimore Ravens, 17-10.
“There are probably millions of teenage girls that are all of a sudden watching football, and following the Chiefs now because Taylor Swift is up in a press box,” said geography and philosophy teacher William Crawford. “It’s a sideshow, but it’s [the NFL] a business. They probably like the extra publicity.”
The intersection of singing stardom and professional athletics has created an unprecedented mass of entertainment, all to the liking of the Chiefs. Swift’s attendance has boosted ticket values as high as over $2,000, compared to 2022’s average ticket cost of $115, as “swifties” and their signs litter the stands for a chance to see the Billboard Number 1 artist. “My dad has always wanted someone to watch football with, and now that I have become more exposed to football because of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce I have watched more games with him,” said senior Allison Gill.
However, the added attention is not appreciated by everybody. The persistent cutaways and references have caused a storm of Kansas City and NFL fans to take aggressively to social media, calling for major broadcasters to separate the pop star from the games at hand. “It’s cool that Taylor’s there [at the games], but it kind of takes the focus away from football,” said junior Sam Heatherington.
Broadcasters have shown notable reactions from family and friends of football players throughout history. The attention Taylor Swift has received, however, by being broadcast has caused an increase in viewership and game attendance by her fans. It seems as though recently, Swift has become a face of the league just as much as any of the players.
But is it really that big of a deal? On a typical broadcast, Swift is only shown four to six times, for spans usually less than 25 total seconds in games that can last up to three hours. Whether or not Swift “should” be shown on Chiefs’ games broadcast, it is the NFL choosing which cameras to air. “I think occasionally, if he scores a touchdown maybe they can show her face, but I do think that it is a little excessive to show her face after every play he’s involved in,” said Smith. “I think she just wants to go and enjoy the game and not be worried about everyone paying attention to her.”
However, critics of the repeated Swift showings often point to actress Hailee Steinfeld as an example of a celebrity partner maintaining a low profile on NFL sidelines. The partner of star Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Steinfeld has appeared throughout the season, potentially a result of her allegedly requesting that the NFL avoid showing her on air.
With the Chiefs playing in the Super Bowl next Sunday, the 11th, dozens of news organizations are already speculating about whether the pop star would be able to make it to the game after her concert in Tokyo two nights prior. As the 2023-24 NFL season comes to a close on Feb. 11, both football and Swift fans alike will be watching the game this Sunday and looking forward to seeing their favorite stars.