The NFL has reaped the benefits of the relationship between Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce and 14-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift. Ever since the couple made their relationship public last September, a new wave of fans taken a sudden interest in the game. And more interest, of course, means more money.
Fortunately for the NFL, the relationship appears to be going strong. In addition to Swift attending 13 Chiefs games this season (that the public is aware of; one coach said she was coming to games before that), Kelce has been flying all over the world to support her while she is on her Eras Tour. Just today, the nine-time Pro Bowl tight end landed in Singapore, where Swift is finishing the Asian leg of her global concert series.
The NFL Made Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Thanks to Taylor Swift in 2023
When Kelce and Swift made their relationship public in September, a whole new fanbase started following the NFL. Swift’s fans, known as “Swifties,” started following the Chiefs and watching other games. This led to a phenomena known as the “Taylor Swift Effect,” which saw teenage girls and their fathers taking an interest in something that they had not had before.
The sudden increase in fans watching the game also increased the NFL’s revenue. During the season, it was reported that Swift’s presence at games, and the interest it garnered, brought in over $300 million.
The NFL Wanted Taylor Swift to Perform at Halftime of Super Bowl LVIII
As anyone who tuned into Super Bowl LVIII knows, Usher was the featured artist during the highly anticipated halftime show. However, he was not the league’s first choice.
According to reports, the NFL had asked Swift to be the halftime performer for Super Bowl LVIII. However, her touring schedule and desire to simply watch Kelce as a fan/loved one prevented her from taking the gig. However, that does not mean she ruled out ever doing it, and it sounds like the league wants to make it happen sooner rather than later.
The NFL Believes Taylor Swift Could Bring In $1 Billion in Revenue If She Were the Super Bowl Performer Next Year
According to a report by The U.S. Sun, NFL business insiders said that influential people within the league are “desperate” to book Swift for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. By their estimates, landing the 14-time Grammy Award winner could net the league over $1 billion:
“The ads could reach a cost of $8.5 million each, an increase of $1 million, or more. This year, it has been estimated that her presence helped generate a lot of money, estimated between $700-750 million. If she is the main artist of next year’s halftime show, it’s expected to generate more than $1.3-1.5 billion.”
The problem, though, is that Super Bowl performers do not really get paid for doing their show. In fact, almost all of them end up losing money by committing to do it. The NFL only pays performers based on the standard union contract, which is $1,000 a day. Performers are sometimes even asked to pay for the privilege to perform, on top of having to pay their crew and everyone else that goes into making their shows a success.
Swift, of course, is a billionaire herself and does not “need” the NFL’s money. However, it stands to reason that she (and any other performer for that matter) may desire a substantial amount more than $1,000 if her performance could bring in $1 billion for the league.
