Superstar singer Taylor Swift has once again proven her influence on the NFL as her presence at a recent Kansas City Chiefs game transformed the event into a spectacle reminiscent of the Super Bowl. NBC reports that the game, which pitted the Chiefs against the New York Jets, attracted an average of around 27 million viewers, marking it as the most-watched Sunday show since Fox aired Super Bowl LVII in January.
Swift’s appearance generated immense buzz across various platforms, including talk shows and social media, as fans eagerly anticipated her presence to support Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce for the second time. The previous week, Swift had caught attention by cheering for Kelce alongside his mother, fueling speculation about a potential relationship. This time, the pop sensation was accompanied by other luminaries such as Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Hugh Jackman, and director Shawn Levy (who are collaborating on Deadpool 3).
The impact of Swift’s star power was undeniable, as the game’s ratings increased by 22% compared to the previous week’s matchup between the Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, peaking at 29 million viewers when the Jets closed the gap to within eight points during the second quarter.
Notably, the game also made waves in the streaming realm, as it attracted 1.9 million viewers, marking the largest streaming audience for an NBC Sports regular-season NFL game. This figure represents a remarkable surge of 42% in streaming viewership compared to the previous week.
It is evident that the “Taylor Swift effect” on the NFL is more than just a myth, as her presence continues to elevate the excitement and viewership surrounding games, turning them into marquee events similar to the grandeur of the Super Bowl.
