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Is Taylor Swift making you watch football? What viewers are saying

By Chris Williams
Published  September 4, 2024 2:09pm EDT
Sports
FOX TV Stations

Super Bowl Era: 'Taylor Swift effect'

LiveNOW from FOX's Jeane Franseen caught up with Virginia Tech University Professor Donna Wertalik about the effect Taylor Swift is having on the Super Bowl. Tonight the San Francisco 49ers will face off the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Brief 

    • Seventeen percent of respondents said they have more interest in football due to Taylor Swift; an equal number have less.
    • Men and Gen Zers are more interested in football because of Swift, but younger groups also show disinterest.
    • Fifty-six percent reject the idea that Swift negatively impacts the NFL, with parents and younger generations most likely to agree

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift continues to exert her influence in the sports world as more people are interested in watching football, according to a new survey. 

Lending Tree found that 17% of Americans have more interest in watching football this season because of Swift. Swift has been dating Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end since 2023. 

However, an equal rate said they have less interest because of her.

RELATED: New NFL season promo has no Joe Burrow or Brock Purdy, but plenty of Taylor Swift

The survey also found that men are much more likely than women to say they have more interest in watching football this season because of Swift (22% of men, versus 13% of women). Also, the survey found younger generations are more likely, with 25% of Gen Zers agreeing, compared with 24% of millennials, 14% of Gen Xers and 6% of boomers. 

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes react during a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

However, Gen Zers are also the most likely to say Swift makes them less likely to watch football. Twenty-four percent of Gen Zers say so, versus 17% of millennials and Gen Xers and 13% of boomers.

Researchers also posed this setence to respondents: "I hate the impact that Taylor Swift has had on the NFL." A significant majority of Americans (56%) disagreed with this statement, while 44% agreed. Parents of young kids (52%), Gen Zers (51%), millennials (48%) and men (46%) are among the most likely to agree with the statement.

RELATED: Jason Kelce uses Taylor Swift lyrics during retirement speech, fans notice

Taylor Swift and NFL's Travis Kelce 

Swift began dating Kelce after he said on his "New Heights" podcast that he had tried and failed to give her a friendship bracelet during her performance at Arrowhead Stadium. Kelce then invited her to watch him perform at the home of the Chiefs, and she surprisingly showed up for their Week 2 game against Chicago.

Taylor Swift brings Travis Kelce on stage in London

Taylor Swift surprised fans by bringing Travis Kelce on stage during her show in London, on Sunday, June 23. (Credit: Jillian Ralke via Storyful)

Swift soon became a regular at games, both home and away, frequently sitting with Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Swift occasionally brought along friends, including Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

Swift's impact on the NFL

Eager as the National Football League has been to cater to the recent public fixation with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, it’s certainly not taking any credit for creating the outsized storyline that has emerged around the pop superstar and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

But the sport providing the backdrop, and its TV partners, have not been shy about trying to capitalize on the "situationship" and gain new fans, particularly members of Gen Z and more women — although marketing experts are skeptical there will be much of a bump in the long run.

The Chiefs have emerged in recent years as one of the NFL’s top television draws thanks to quarterback Patrick Mahomes leading them to three Super Bowl titles in the past five seasons and increased even more last season when Swift attended several games to watch her boyfriend, Kelce.

The Source

  • This information was based on a survey by Lending Tree. LendingTree used QuestionPro to conduct an online survey of 2,050 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 78 from August 1 to August 5. The survey was issued using a nonprobability-based sample, and quotas were used to ensure the sample base represented the overall population. Researchers reviewed all responses for quality control. This story was reported from Los Angeles.