This paper uses ratings and viewership data from 247 NFL games played in the 2022 and 2023 seasons to assess the effect of Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce on the Chiefs’ television audience. We find that Chiefs’ viewership increases by about one-third beginning with Swift's first time attending a Chiefs’ game in the third week of the 2023 season. Supplemental analysis suggests that the gain in the Chiefs’ television audience can be explained both by new fans tuning in and existing fans substituting away from other games broadcast in the same time slot.
AldrichE. M.ArcidiaconoP. S.VigdorJ. L. (2005). Do people value racial diversity? Evidence from nielsen ratings. The BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 5(1), 0000101515153806531396. https://doi.org/10.1515/1538-0653.1396
2.
BellB. (2023). Taylor Swift appearance boosts NFL Sunday ratings to 24.3 million viewers. Variety, September 26, 2023.
3.
BradburyJ. C. (2024). Revisiting the novelty effect from new stadiums: An event study approach. Economic Inquiry, 62(4), 1722–1747. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.13231
4.
BrownJ.SheridanB. J. (2020). The impact of national anthem protests on National Football League television ratings. Journal of Sports Economics, 21(8), 829–847. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002520944452
5.
BuraimoB.SimmonsR. (2015). Uncertainty of outcome or star quality? Television audience demand for English Premier League football. International Journal of the Economics of Business, 22(3), 449–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/13571516.2015.1010282
6.
CoatesD.HumphreysB. R. (2005). Novelty effects of new facilities on attendance at professional sporting events. Contemporary Economic Policy, 23(3), 436–455. https://doi.org/10.1093/cep/byi033
7.
CoscarelliJ. (2024). How big is Taylor Swift by the numbers? New York Times, July 6, 2024.
8.
FeddersenA.RottA. (2011). Determinants of demand for televised live football: Features of the German national football team. Journal of Sports Economics, 12(3), 352–369. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002511404783
9.
GoodingC.StephensonE. F. (2017). Superstars, uncertainty of outcome, and PGA Tour television ratings. Journal of Sports Economics, 18(8), 867–875. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002516637649
10.
GrimshawS. D.BurwellS. J. (2014). Choosing the most popular NFL games in a local TV market. Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 10(3), 329–343. https://doi.org/10.1515/jqas-2014-0015
11.
GrimshawS. D.LarsonJ. S. (2021). Effect of star power on NBA all-star game TV audience. Journal of Sports Economics, 22(2), 139–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002520959127
12.
HernandezV. (2023). Taylor Swift gives big boost to TV ratings for Chiefs-Bears, especially among young women. USA Today, September 26, 2023.
MorganE. (2025). The N.B.A.’s hidden game: Arranging courtside celebrities. New York Times, April 24, 2025.
15.
PaulR. J.WeinbachA. P. (2007). The uncertainty of outcome and scoring effects on Nielsen ratings for Monday Night Football. Journal of Economics and Business, 59(3), 199–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconbus.2006.05.001
16.
ReamsL.ShapiroS. (2017). Who's the main attraction? Star power as a determinant of Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view demand. European Sport Management Quarterly, 17(2), 132–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2016.1257039
17.
ReillyP.SolowJ. L.von AllmenP. (2023). When the stars are out: The impact of missed games on NBA television audiences. Journal of Sports Economics, 24(7), 877–902. https://doi.org/10.1177/15270025231174616
18.
ScellesN. (2017). Star quality and competitive balance? Television audience demand for English Premier League football reconsidered. Applied Economics Letters, 24(19), 1399–1402. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2017.1282125
19.
SisarioB. (2024). Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Grand Total: A Record $2 Billion. New York Times, December 9, 2024.
20.
SperlingN.VandegriftD. (2022). Anthem protests, viewer politics, and the demand for NFL games: Assessing the impact of national anthem protests on viewership. Journal of Sports Economics, 23(8), 1017–1045. https://doi.org/10.1177/15270025221078009
21.
TainskyS. (2010). Television broadcast demand for national football league contests. Journal of Sports Economics, 11(6), 629–640. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002509355636
22.
TainskyS.SalagaS.SantosC. A. (2013). Determinants of pay-per-view broadcast viewership in sports: The case of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Journal of Sport Management, 27(1), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.27.1.43
23.
TainskyS.XuJ. (2019). Gender and television viewership of professional football. International Journal of Sport Finance, 14(2), 71–83. https://doi.org/10.32731/IJSR142.052019.01
24.
TainskyS.XuJ.ZhouY. (2014). Qualifying the game uncertainty effect: A game-level analysis of NFL postseason broadcast ratings. Journal of Sports Economics, 15(3), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002512457946
25.
WillsG.TaconR.AddesaF. (2022). Uncertainty of outcome, team quality or star players? What drives TV audience demand for UEFA Champions League football. European Sport Management Quarterly, 22, 876–894.
