Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift may have made history by breaking the internet.
The pop star unexpectedly showed up at the NFL player’s game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sep. 24 after weeks of dating rumors, a move Travis Kelce referred to as “pretty ballsy.”
On Oct.1, she also went to his away game against the New York Jets. The game began at 8:20 p.m. ET, was televised on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and streamed live on Peacock.
Ever since Kelce attended the singer’s mega-successful Eras Tour, rumors have been swirling around the 33-year-old Kansas City Chiefs star and the Grammy-winning singer.
A source close to Swift recently told NBC News that ”Swift and Travis Kelce are hanging together, and it is still in the early stages.”
On Oct. 1, when Swift made her second appearance in the stands, she garnered NBC and Peacock an average of 27 million viewers, making it the most-watched sporting event since the Super Bowl, and the Sunday program reached the most viewers with a 35% increase in female viewers during the game against the New York Jets.
Thanks to the pop star’s appearance, Nielsen reports that 53% more teenage girls watched Sunday Night Football than they did the previous season.
Since being associated with Swift, Kelce’s profile has increased dramatically. Following Swift’s on-screen appearances, Kelce racked up more Instagram followers than he did after his participation in the three Super Bowls.
At a news conference held after the Kansas Chiefs’ practice on Friday, Kelce explained that he was still getting used to the paparazzi and attention. “You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, for good reason. So, just gotta keep living and earning and enjoying the moments. At the end of the day, I’ve always been pretty good about compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused in this building and I’ll just keep rolling with that.”
As of right now, Kelce holds the title of most popular athlete in America. After Swift attended the Chiefs-Bears game on Sept. 25, according to information compiled by Parrot Analytics, Kelce has risen to the position of third most-searched public figure in the United States, trailing only Beyoncé and Swift herself.
Since the “Swift Effect” took hold, sales of jerseys featuring Kelce’s name and number have increased 400%.
The podcast “New Heights,” which Kelce co-hosts with his brother, center Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles, is the best-rated on Apple and Spotify and has gained more than 200,000 YouTube subscribers in only two weeks, and Jason Kelce is the second-most-searched sports figure in America this week.
Since Taylor made her NFL debut, the league has decided to center its advertising, social media, and other content around her. Swift’s attendance in the stands has helped them promote their games and increased ticket sales drastically.
However, many fans are unsure of their positions on the excessive coverage of Swift; some believe it takes away the emphasis of the beloved game, while others live for the Swift coverage and adore how Swift is being included in a completely different industry.
Regardless, there’s still one question everyone in the nation is asking: Is this romance just a “Shot in the Dark,” or is this “Lover” one to stay?
