Forget about the touchdowns and halftime show—the 2024 Super Bowl buzz had nothing to do with the game itself. All eyes scanned the stadium for one lone persona: Taylor Swift, pop icon turned unofficial NFL MVP, cheering on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end. Power couple Swift and Kelce began publicly dating in late July of 2023, and their new relationship took the world by storm, making the NFL even more popular than ever. With an estimated increase of over 2 million female viewers, the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs have “Traylor” to thank for this increase in female viewership and the Chief’s overall brand value (Acton, 2024).
The idyllic relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has undeniably captured global attention, but perhaps the most intriguing aspect isn’t their romance itself—it’s how the NFL and the Chiefs have strategically commodified it. This dynamic, coupled with the influence of Taylor Swift's fandom and the celebrity news cycle, has reshaped the NFL’s cultural landscape that focusing on the gossip and news surrounding their relationship rather than the value of the sport itself; their authentic relationship has been diminished to a product that the NFL is capitalizing on for promotional gain.
Graeme Turner’s concept of celebrity as an industry reflects the idea that their relationship serves as a mechanism for capital gain for the NFL to strategically broaden their fanbase (Swifies) and further augment their already impressive profits (Turner, 2013). For example, the NFL saw a 53% increase in female viewership in the 12-17 age demographic after airing social media clips of Taylor supporting Kelsey at games. This led to the strategic marketing to this demographic via targeted advertising with brands like L’Oreal and Dove to sustain their new fan base (Johnson, 2024).
The NFL also leans into this narrative and capitalizes on this relationship through the intentional posting of the couple embracing post-game, or by undoubtedly instructing the cameramen to cut to her joyous cheering during the game following one of Travis’ athletic feats. The NFL and other tabloids have curated this “movie-like” romance that keeps this newly acquired fanbase actively engaged with their platform. Sniped on the screen 11 times during Super Bowl 58, one can see the relationship between the NFL and the cultivation of specific content for commercial interests (King, 2024). The NFL works directly with the media to ensure Swift is shown on the screen enough to satiate the public’s appetite and it exemplifies how celebrity news is often strategically manipulated to feed public consumption for the network’s fiscal benefit.
As these two stars continue to dominate the attention of both sexes, the intense spotlight they reside under often fuels narratives that aren’t factual; Turner’s idea of “gossip as news” applies directly to their relationship under public scrutiny (Turner, 2013). For example, significant debate and conspiracy arose on the internet claiming that the couple had immense involvement in a secret democratic plot to help President Biden win the 2024 election because Kelce had participated in a pro-vaccination advertisement and Swift openly promoted public voter registration (Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Conspiracy Theories Abound on Political Right with K.C. Chiefs in Super Bowl - CBS News, 2024). This speculation regarding such preposterous and unlikely plans speaks to the titillation of gossip as news, as this toxic manipulation of information based on falsehoods overshadows their relationship entirely and proves that while people may value and rally around gossip, it’s often at the cost of accuracy that is damaging to one’s image, reputation, and relationships.
Walter Benjamin’s concept of the cult of personality seamlessly defines the public fascination with the duo. The cult of the celebrity serves to counteract diminishing aura, where art and fame are no longer unique and serve as a product that can be endlessly reproduced (Benjamin, 1936, pg. 57). Audiences increasingly attach themselves to the persona rather than the original work or experience itself. An example of this phenomenon can be seen with fans attending a Chiefs game to watch Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce interact, rather than for the game itself. The mass audience is drawn more to the manufactured aura surrounding these celebrities than to the authentic experience of the game, which can also give more room to shift one’s public perception and identity.
The media and Swift fans united to push a narrative about this “larger than life” couple, amplifying their “aura” to increase their gravitas with their audience. While once seen as a leading tight end in the industry, the public perception of Kelce has shifted from football star to being recognized as the subject of Swift’s popular song, “So High School”, a true representation of how the cult of personality holds power to reshape one’s identity (West, 2024).
This significant shift in identity has had implications for the NFL as well. The league has had immense success drawing in more women and differing age demographics, changing the landscape for viewers of football altogether. However, many die-hard fans argue that this sudden shift in audience has altered the NFL’s identity from an athletic league to a source of gossip and celebrity drama. Both tabloid interest and cult of personality have overshadowed the football industry, diminishing the impact of accomplishments on the athletes and the passion for the game itself.
The commodification of Swift and Kelce’s romance is just one of many examples of celebrity culture infiltrating areas in which they shouldn’t be participating; this is a broader issue that often invades professional atmospheres. Celebrity culture and the unending news of their relationship are constructed and marketed as a means of profit and for pure public entertainment. In transforming Swift and Kelce’s romance into a marketing spectacle, the NFL and society have traded authenticity for a media frenzy; this circus atmosphere has trumped respect for personal lives. So, while it seemed that individually, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are at the zenith of their individual popularity, their combined entity has infiltrated the landscape of the football world, creating a stage for manufactured pop culture moments. The NFL must reconsider its actions to avoid eventual backlash and the risk of alienating fans who value the game's authenticity.
References:
Acton, K. (2024, February 5). The NFL’s “Mastermind” Decision to Lean into the Taylor Swift Effect. IDX. https://www.idx.inc/blog/marketing/nfls-mastermind-decision-lean-taylor-swift-effect
Adgate, B. (10 C.E., February). The NFL (And Travis Kelce) Is Benefitting from The Taylor Swift Effect. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2023/10/02/the-nfl-and-travis-kelce-is-benefitting-from-the-taylor-swift-effect/
Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Illuminations, edited by Hannah Arendt, 1936, (pp. 49-70).
Cohen, A. (2024, February 2). Super Bowl or Swiftie Bowl? | How Taylor Swift has impacted the NFL. Cbs8.com. https://www.cbs8.com/article/sports/nfl/superbowl/inside-taylor-swifts-impact-on-the-nfl/509-92ca5bef-4cd8-45dd-8ced-edac383bae46
Ehalt, M. (2024, January 29). Taylor swift has generated $330 million for the NFL amid Travis Kelce romance. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/01/29/sports/taylor-swift-has-generated-330-million-for-nfl-amid-travis-kelce-romance/
https://www.facebook.com/peoplemag. (2024). Pat McAfee Praises Travis Kelce for His Relationship with Taylor Swift, Says It’s “Great” for Football. People.com. https://people.com/travis-kelce-taylor-swift-relationship-great-for-nfl-says-pat-mcafee-8729134
Johnson, M. (2024, February 5). Examining Taylor swift’s massive impact on the NFL thanks to swifties. Sportsnaut.com. https://sportsnaut.com/taylor-swift-nfl-impact/
Kaplan, J., & DeFrancesco, D. (2023, September 29). Taylor Swift has the NFL on notice as her economic dominance spreads. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-economy-nfl-eras-tour-2023-9
King, A. (2024, February 13). Taylor Swift Shown 54 Seconds at Super Bowl LVIII. Digital Music News. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/02/13/taylor-swift-super-bowl-screen-time/
Kollmeyer, B. (1 C.E.). Taylor Swift’s romance with tight end Travis Kelce is worth $331 million to the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL. MarketWatch. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/taylor-swift-is-worth-331-million-and-counting-to-nfl-and-the-chiefs-05e4dbf9
Scheinbaum, A. C. (2023, November 17). 5 marketing lessons from the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce romance. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/5-marketing-lessons-from-the-taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-romance-214827
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce conspiracy theories abound on political right with K.C. Chiefs in Super Bowl - CBS News. (2024, February 1). Www.cbsnews.com. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-conspiracy-theories-chiefs-super-bowl/
Turner, G. (2013). Is celebrity news, news? Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, 15(2), 144–152. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884913488719
West, B. (2024). Watch Travis Kelce react to Taylor Swift singing “So High School” in London. USA TODAY. https://doi.org/1077625/480p_30fps,720p_30fps,1080p_3
Anjali, I completely agree with your stance on how the NFL has commodified Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship and how it simultaneously influenced fans to be more invasive in their romance. It is unfortunate that the NFL saw the authentic and loving moments between Taylor and Travis as an opportunity to make profit. This idea reminded me of how on TikTok ordinary people sharing personal stories are also made into entertainment which is discussed in Jenna Drenten’s “West Elm Caleb and the rise of the TikTok tabloid.” In both cases, people are exploited for views and money.
ReplyDeleteLike the NFL dramatizing the dating journey between Taylor and Travis for entertainment value, Drenten provides the example of women on TikTok sharing their drama-filled online dating history with West Elm Caleb.
Further, there is also a connection to be made regarding surveillance, specifically social surveillance. Drenten points out that TikTok users feed into surveillance with their tendencies to do deep dives into creators' personal lives. Taylor fans, as you pointed out, are the same as they developed an obsession with the inner workings of her relationship.
However, the sad part is that although Taylor and Travis have the chance to benefit along with the NFL from commodifying themselves, everyday people on the TikTok tabloids don’t have the same resources to handle potential negativity and criticism. Swifties are extremely uplifting of Taylor but TikTok users are not always kind and since they feel like peers and I find that they unfortunately don’t mind saying their piece on content they do not like.