Taylor Swift's world tour is a promotional windfall for the NFL as it tries to grow its international fanbase
Julio Cortez/AP
- Taylor Swift is en route to support Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl after her Tokyo concert.
- Some of Swift's fans in Tokyo were wearing Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs jersey.
- Swift's tour is welcome marketing for the NFL as it works to scale internationally.
As Taylor Swift races against time to make it from Japan back stateside to support her beau in the Super Bowl, she's leaving confetti, friendship bracelets, and bright red Kansas City Chiefs merch in her wake.
At her Tokyo concerts this weekend, some fans were decked out in Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's No. 87 jersey, repping Swift's boyfriend — and the NFL.
An Instagram account affiliated with Swift posted photos of fans, and the first image featured a young woman outside the Tokyo Dome wearing Kelce's jersey.
The NFL has worked to grow its global reach in recent years, and Swift's global popularity is no doubt a welcome assist in that effort.
The league has recently added Spain to its international schedule, announcing a game in Madrid in 2025. Executives said in the announcement that the NFL intends to increase the number of international games annually to break into new international markets.
Tokyo itself has been home to more international NFL games than any other city in the world. But it's still noteworthy, if not a little bizarre, to see people in Tokyo supporting Kansas City, Missouri, a city a fraction of its size on the other side of the planet.
Swift's relationship with Kelce, which began in the summer, has been celebrated and scrutinized. NFL executives have credited Swift with growing the NFL's popularity, especially among young female viewers. The owner and chief executive of the Chiefs said the team's "female audience has grown leaps and bounds" thanks to Swift.
A New York Times analysis of network viewership data found that it's somewhat inconclusive whether Swift has made the NFL more popular this season. The Chiefs enjoyed heightened viewership even at games where Swift wasn't present, the Times concluded.
Even so, the league still seems eager to harness any star power Swift is willing to lend their way, posting references to Swift on social media throughout the season. And Super Bowl ads are likely to reference Swift as well.
A Cetaphil ad released Friday, for example, features a father who wants to watch football bonding with his daughter who wants to watch Swift.