Explaining Swiftonomics: Why NFL stans need to be thanking Taylor Swift big time

By Charlie Sawyer

Updated Feb 9, 2024 at 01:42 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

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Image courtesy of Chelsea Lauren from Shutterstock

When I was 14 years old, I saw Taylor Swift performing at the O2 arena during the iconic Red Tour. Even then, I knew that the woman who stood before me was going to absolutely slay at life—I also knew she was going to be hella rich. Swift’s net worth currently sits at around $1.1 billion and with all of the critical and commercial success, it’s not difficult to see how she got there. And now, with Swift booed up with none other than Kansas Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, it’s become evident that people are incredibly intrigued by the sheer financial influence the singer has.

Welcome back to Explained By a Blonde, girlypops. This week, we’re tackling all things related to the Swift economy—yes, that’s a real thing. From The Eras tour to her impact on the National Football League (NFL), Swift’s ability to pull focus is undeniable. And, if anything, this influence is incredibly beneficial to all aspects of the US economy.

So, why is she facing so much criticism right now? Is it because she’s “distracting” fans from the pure masculine skill involved in American football? Or is it just the fact that the girl cheering offside is worth a hell of a lot more money than the tight end on the field? Let’s discuss.

First off, let’s make one thing very clear. No one is denying that American football is an incredibly popular sport and an integral part of US culture. That being said, Swift is one of the most famous singers in the world who goes on regular global tours visiting millions of people cross-country. One Redditor even insinuated that Swift’s cats might be more famous than the singer’s new boo, Kelce. Sorry, Travis.

Either way, you only have to look at the numbers to realise that Swift’s pinky finger is probably more profitable than the entire game of American football together. To start with, in August 2023, TIME stated that The Eras Tour was projected to generate close to $5 billion in consumer spending in the US alone.

Moreover, just to be that little bit more petty, it was also reported that on the opening night in Glendale, Arizona, the concert brought in more revenue for local businesses than Super Bowl LVII, which was held in February 2023 in the same stadium. To use that event as a comparison, Swift has been performing the equivalent of two to three Super Bowls every weekend for the past five months. Not bad, right?

Oh, I should also mention the fact that after Swift was seen at her first Chief’s game, sales for Kelce’s jersey skyrocketed by 400 per cent.

Plus, it makes sense that the NFL cameras are having a love affair with the Grammy-award winner. When Swift’s on screen, the female viewership gets a massive boost. In fact, it was reported that viewership among teen girls in particular spiked 53 per cent from the season-to-date average of the first three weeks of NBC’s Sunday Night Football. The audience among women ages 18 to 24 was also up 24 per cent.

Lots of people have been complaining about the fact that the upcoming Super Bowl, taking place on Sunday 11 February 2024, is going to be overshadowed if Swift makes an appearance. But can we all just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Miss Swift is a busy woman? In fact, last time I checked, the Midnights artist is going to be singing her little heart out in Japan on The Eras Tour.

I don’t think it’s going to make any difference to point out the incessant misogyny Swift has had to deal with during her relationship with Kelce, primarily because I would argue that the singer’s particular brand of feminism is incredibly problematic and something that should be addressed. That being said, the fact that Swift is easily one of the richest and most powerful performers in the world and still have to put up with child-like male chauvinism is, well, straight-up dumb.