Going into the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets game on October 1, the talk was not primarily about the match, but rather who would be there. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rumored relationship has been a hot topic for weeks now. So, after she went to his game in Kansas City, and appeared in a suite at MetLife stadium, all eyes, and cameras, were on her. Following the telecast, people are talking about how it might have shown too much of the singer and her A-list guests. Now, the tight end has weighed in on the subject, candidly speaking about whether the NFL is “overdoing” its coverage of celebrities and the “Cruel Summer” singer, specifically.
Jason Kelce asked his younger brother if “the NFL is overdoing it,” when it comes to how they cover celebrities who are at games on their podcast, New Heights. He also clarified that the tight end should “take away [his] feelings for Taylor,” and asked for his “honest opinion.” The Kansas City Chiefs star then gave his candid response to how highly covered celebrities, specifically Taylor Swift, have been, saying:
I think it’s fun when they show who all is at the game, you know? I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, it brings a little bit more to what you’re watching. But at the same time, I think [Jason interjects: They’re overdoing it.] they’re overdoing it a little bit, for sure. Especially my situation. I think they’re just trying to have fun with it.
Swift went to the game with Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Sophie Turner, and more. They were shown a lot during the broadcast, and there’s been a lot of talk on social media about how both the NFL and NBC leaned heavily into her attendance as a talking and advertising point. It literally opened with the announcers noting the pop star’s presence. Before it began, Carson Daly came on to give Swifties a lesson in football. The NFL TikTok bio was even periodically changed to be Taylor Swift references.
Notably, the NFL has seen a spike in viewership during the games Swift was at. The Sunday Night Football broadcast of the Chiefs vs. Jets match-up saw a 53% increase in viewership among teenage girls. It also peaked at 29.4 million viewers, and its overall viewership was up by 22%, according to The Sports Daily. Overall, the Taylor Swift effect was felt, and now there are questions about whether the National Football League and NBC were leaning too hard into it.
Along with Travis, Jason Kelce, who plays for the Philidelphia Eagles, shared his thoughts on the matter, saying:
I just think the NFL is not used to celebrities coming to the games. Basketball has it figured out. They’re all courtside, they’re sitting there, they show them once or twice, but they get back to the game. The NFL is like ‘Look at all these A-List celebrities! Keep showing them. Show them, show them!’ Listen, show them once, let them know they’re there. Maybe after a touchdown, you get a little clip, but you can’t be overboard with it. People are there to watch the game, right?
Overall, the Kelce brothers kept it real. They were nice about how the Chiefs’ last game was covered, but they also explained why they thought the NFL was “overdoing” it when it came to celebrity sightings.
This isn’t the first time Travis Kelce has opened up about the attention he’s been receiving because of the rumors surrounding him and Taylor Swift. After the Chiefs beat the Bears, and the internet lost its mind over the “Anti-Hero” singer being there, the tight end noted that he knows he “brought all this attention to me.” He spoke highly about the pop star in his statement. He also clarified that moving forward he wants to “respect” both their personal lives.
As the NFL season continues to air on the 2023 TV schedule, it’ll be interesting to see if Swift shows up to more games, and how the league and broadcast companies cover her and other celebrities in attendance. Overall, we don’t know what will happen on that front, we’ll just have to wait for the next Kansas City game.
However, we do know Swift has some very exciting projects coming up that are bound to be highly covered – namely the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film and the re-release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Along with that, Kelce and the Chiefs will try to keep winning as the football season continues. Amidst all this, we’ll be sure to keep you posted about all things Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce and how their relationship is covered.