Have the Chiefs, NFL Made Taylor Swift Richer?

Since Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce went public with their relationship in September, it's been impossible to escape the unlikely lovebirds.

The singer's presence at games has racked up an estimated $331.5 million in brand exposure for the Chiefs, while introducing the 34-year-old tight end and the NFL to a whole new audience.

But although Swift is one of the biggest stars in the world right now, have the Chiefs helped to boost her image and net worth in return? The football team may not hold the same sway as the multi-award-winning singer, also 34, but her relationship with Kelce has been nothing but good news for Swift's reputation, according to experts.

"Whether it's her music or just her in general, it's definitely opened and introduced Taylor to a new audience," Eric Smallwood, president of Apex Marketing Group, told Newsweek.

It was his company behind the $331.5 million figure—"It would cost you that much to get all the media, across the newspapers, social media, everything," Smallwood explained.

But the value the Chiefs have generated for Swift is much harder to calculate, due to her overwhelming success in 2022 and 2023. When tickets for her record-smashing Eras tour went on sale in 2022, an estimated 14 million fans battled it out for 625,000 spots, with demand crashing the Ticketmaster website.

The success of the tour made Swift a billionaire in 2023, with her presence boosting the economy of every town she performed in.

However, Smallwood believes the romance has brought new fans the 34-year-old songstress wouldn't otherwise have reached.

"Swift is mentioned in media that traditionally wouldn't have mentioned an entertainer," he explained.

"Football-specific publications and TV broadcasts, podcasts, etc, would not have been talking about Swift now are."

The New Heights podcast has been a particular win for her. Kelce hosts the show with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, with the Grammy winner a hot topic. In fact, the podcast was where Kelce first confessed to having a crush on Swift in July.

According to Chartable, New Heights is currently the most-listened to sports podcast in America on both Apple and Spotify. Although the Chiefs' Super Bowl win on Sunday has likely influenced that statistic, the podcast has remained in the top 10 on both platforms for several weeks.

The NFL is also one of the biggest media assets in the U.S. Although some football fans have complained about the amount of coverage Swift receives during broadcasts—despite her appearing on screen for an average of 25 seconds—those appearances spawned headlines for days following games.

"Again, this had opened up a new demographic for both Swift and the NFL," Smallwood said. "It's married entertainment and sports."

He compares Kelce and Swift to David and Victoria Beckham, whose love story in the 1990s and early 2000s turned the soccer star and Spice Girls singer into an international brand.

Or, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. Although the marriage between the Hollywood legend and baseball icon only lasted a year in the 1950s, the relationship exploded their celebrity status and introduced both to new markets.

"Whatever happens in the future, Kelce and Swift will be aligned together, just like DiMaggio and Monroe," Smallwood said.

One particular area that the NFL may have benefited Swift, according to Smallwood, is the father-daughter connection.

Research conducted by Lending Tree found that the pop star has made 13 percent of Americans more interested in football. However, her influence is strongest amongst millennials (aged 28-43) and Gen Z women (aged 18-27).

While more women and teenage girls are watching the NFL because of Swift, men are simultaneously becoming more familiar with the music icon while bonding with their daughters.

The Chiefs' Super Bowl victory was a victory for the "Karma" singer too.

"It just swings in a different way," Smallwood explained. "If they'd lost, fans may have accused Swift of affecting the game, as they have done in the past."

The couple's schedules also benefit one another. With Swift resuming her Eras tour earlier this month, Kelce and the Chiefs are likely to stay in the news cycle longer than they otherwise would have—particularly since the NFL star is rumored to be following Swift on tour.

However, the Chiefs helped to keep the headlines about Swift rolling during breaks in performing. The duo's first public appearance followed the end of the North American leg of Eras, before Swift headed to South America in November.

"I know there was suspicion that their debut was planned and the relationship is scripted," Smallwood said. "But I believe it happened organically; there's so many moving parts in this."

Swift was named Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2023. Does Smallwood believe the singer would have been the cover star if not for her new romance?

"She still would have been," he said, "I don't think that Time magazine was hinged upon the NFL or the Kelce relationship at all."

Newsweek has reached out to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for comment via email.