For the past two seasons, Taylor Swift has been linked to the Kansas City Chiefs due to her relationship with star tight end Travis Kelce. Their relationship has resulted in a lot of earned media for the NFL and interest in both the Chiefs as well as Swift and Kelce’s relationship

Pro Football Hall of Famer and NFL on Fox star Michael Strahan spoke at the Sports Business Journal’s 4SE conference and argued that Swift’s association with the Chiefs has been beneficial for the league.

“Sports have leaked into pop culture — and it’s a win for everyone,” he said. “Taylor Swift is one of the best things to happen to the NFL.”

Strahan’s point is supported by solid research, highlighting the NFL’s significant growth in key areas. According to Washington Women in Public Relations, NFL viewership has surged, with regular-season games averaging 17.9 million viewers—a 7% increase from the previous year and the highest since 2015 (18.1 million). Notably, female viewership has risen by 9%, further boosting the league’s performance among women. For example, during the Chiefs and Bears game on September 24, there was a 63% increase in female viewers aged 18 to 49.

This growth is mirrored in other areas as well. Sales of Travis Kelce’s jersey spiked by 400%, making it one of the top five most popular jerseys of the season. Meanwhile, the Kelce brothers’ podcast climbed to the top of Apple’s podcast charts, and Travis Kelce gained 250,000 Instagram followers in a single day on September 25. In fact, his follower increase that day surpassed the combined growth of the NFL’s top 100 players, driven by Taylor Swift’s presence at the game.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship will continue to generate massive interest and headlines, especially as People magazine reported on Tuesday evening that the music superstar is planning to stay in Miami to support Kelce as he trains for the NFL season. So, it appears that the Swift will surely be a constant topic once again during the season.