The Speculated Romance Bridges Entertainment and Athletics
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)- Two stars from different ends of the entertainment world came together and are causing an internet frenzy. After much speculation that the two may be romantically involved, there’s been a sense of confirmation this past Sunday. 12-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift appeared at the latest Kansas City Chiefs game, cheering on tight end Travis Kelce.
Overnight, this relationship has taken over media coverage and social media trends. As soon as the NFL broadcasted Taylor in the stands, headlines fueled the fire, and fans flooded social media. The hashtag ‘Taylor Swift’ was trending at #1 on X this morning with ‘chiefs.’ Google Trends tweeted a graphic that stated, “72% of the top trending searches related to the Kansas City Chiefs over the past week were about Taylor Swift.”
The NFL is embracing Swifties with open arms and banking on “The Taylor Effect” for increased viewership… And they’re right to do so. Variety reported that with Swift at the game, Taylor brought NFL viewership to 24.32 million viewers and boosted female demographic viewership. It also seems Swifties might have made their way to the merchandise store because, after the game, Travis Kelce’s jersey sales saw a 400% increase.
The social media impact of this duo has been overwhelming. Even the NFL itself is taking part. The NFL made their X header photo a picture of Taylor Swift at the game, making her the first artist who isn’t a Super Bowl Halftime Headliner to be in that position. They also added “(Taylor’s Version)” to their X bio.
Fans have taken to TikTok and Twitter with memes and videos to share their feelings on the speculated couple, and companies are using Taylor Swift puns to draw sales and attention. Swift was seen with ranch dressing on the side of her chicken nuggets at the game, and then the brand Seemingly Ranch took to X with an image of friendship bracelets- a Taylor Swift fan base trademark- and the caption “Take the moment and taste it.” Therefore, Seemingly Ranch references her song You’re On Your Own Kid.
Whether it’s a publicity student or he’s her new ‘lover,’ these two have all eyes on them.