The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens 17 to 10 on Sunday night, which means not only is the NFL team heading to the Super Bowl, but so is Taylor Swift.
While she might not be performing at the game’s half-time show (Usher is covering that), Swift is expected to attend the game to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The romance between the pop singer and footballer has garnered tons of media attention ever since rumors of the relationship started in late September of last year—and it has meant big business for the Chiefs and the NFL at large.
Taylor Swift’s economic effect on the Chiefs
Apex Marketing Group, a US branding consulting and analytics firm, calculated just how much money this media frenzy is actually worth for the NFL ahead of the league’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
Swift’s relationship with Kelce and her appearances at Chiefs games has generated $331.5 million in equivalent brand value for the Chiefs and the NFL, according to an analysis the group shared with Quartz.
Equivalent brand value is how much a brand would have to spend to get the same amount of media exposure, Apex Marketing Group president Eric Smallwood explained.
To get this figure, Apex analyzed media mentions of Swift tied to the Chiefs or the NFL across TV, radio, newsprint, digital news, and social media from when Swift attended her first game on Sept. 24 to Jan. 22. Depending on reach and impact, each impression was given a dollar value, all adding up to that $331.5 million figure.
It’s Taylor Swift’s economy
Swift’s economic impact on the league was foreshadowed early on when sales of Kelce’s jersey skyrocketed 400% within days of Swift attending her first Chiefs game.
Swift has even helped the NFL boost its viewership this season. The 2023 regular season games averaged 17.9 million viewers this season, up 7% from last year, the Sports Business Journal reported. The NFL also had its best female viewership this season since 2000, according to the outlet.
This is the latest example of Swift’s growing economic influence across various sectors. The US Travel Association estimates that Swift’s arena tour last year had an economic impact of at least $10 billion.
In October, AMC stock jumped over 10% following advanced ticket sales of her concert film. The Taylor Swift economy is, undeniably, red hot.