On Sunday, February 11, people all around the world will tune in to watch Super Bowl LVIII, including an entirely new demographic.
The NFL can thank Taylor Swift for that one.
After the pop sensation landed at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, Swifties all around the world began figuring out how to be a football fan, needing to study the difficult rules and multiple positions. But thanks to Taylor Swift, they were
As a result, the audience, as well as many families, have grown closer together as they bond over their newfound love for the sport that dominates talks across the United States every week. Those talks are now taking place everywhere.
“When Taylor Swift showed up for the first time at a football game, I was super curious to learn more about the guy who thought he had a shot with Taylor Swift,” India’s Anusha Ramaswamy told A to Z Sports. “At that point, I had no idea what a ‘Tight End’ even was.”
Travis Kelce was already well-known, but his name did not have the same reach as Taylor Swift’s. But, thanks to her, people now know his NFL position, whose club he plays for, and a lot more about the 34-year-old tight end.
Many of these new fans, including Alma Gauto of Paraguay, had quite unusual reactions after watching the first game.
“It turns out it’s actually pretty entertaining; who knew?”
Eyes open
While many people are eager to sit in front of the television for hours on end every weekend, only to watch professionals toss the ball and then hit one another over and over again, many others do not understand.
However, after Taylor Swift began doing it, people’s attitudes shifted dramatically. And they reasoned that if she was watching, it couldn’t be that horrible.
“From the first game she went to, I noticed how she had fun and enjoyed being at a game,” said Colombian Leidy Cardenas. “I said, ‘There must be something interesting about watching a three-hour game if Taylor looks so excited about it?'”
As her connection with Kelce became more public, the number of viewers per game increased. The broadcast did not hide the fact that they had high-quality information at their fingertips. References were being made, and the camera flashed to her whenever Kelce did something noteworthy.
Taylor Swift is unwilling to miss any chance to see the pop sensation. So every weekend, they watched the games.
“Cut to today, I have watched all matches that the Chiefs have played, whether or not Taylor Swift was in attendance, because I am a fan of the Kelce brothers and some of the other players from the Chiefs team,” she said.
“I’m watching the Super Bowl because I felt a genuine kinship with the Kansas City football fans I met online who seemed to respect Taylor as an artist and, more importantly, as a human being.”
Before this started, there were two distinct groups: Taylor Swift and Chiefs supporters. However, the two have now blended in certain respects.
And now that she’s begun openly watching and loving the games, some new football fans are wondering whether they should have started watching earlier.
“When it became officially public that she and Travis Kelce were dating, I, a 22-year-old Dominican girl who only knew about the Super Bowl through its halftime performances, started a bit amongst my friends,” Isa Gonell from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, stated.
She joked with her friends that she had always been a Kansas City Chiefs fan.
“By the end of the year, I was clearing out my Sundays to sit down and watch the games,” she told me.
While it began as an opportunity to see Swift, it became much more. Fans found themselves loving the game itself. Plus, watching how she got engaged and shouted for the team at each game inspired her supporters to do the same.
“Since Taylor Swift introduced this sport to me, I surprisingly found myself enjoying it every time,” Morocco’s Lamyae Latarsi told A to Z Sports. “I guess I just took a liking to the sport when I saw how much it made her happy and relaxed.”
If this were a movie
Taylor Swift and Kelce’s relationship began thanks to something that has become synonymous with the singer: a friendship bracelet. Emma Whaley, from Minnesota, recalls the precise moment when it all began.
“So back in July, when he posted on the podcast and said he wanted to give Taylor a friendship bracelet, I remember thinking it was funny and being like, ‘She probably won’t say anything, but they would be maybe a cute couple of whatever,'” Whaley went on to add. “I began to notice more TikTok posts about him. And I was like, “Oh, he seems like a nice, funny guy and whatever.” But I wasn’t going to watch football over it. And then when she arrived at the first game, all the Taylor Swift were screaming out on Twitter and things, so I switched on the TV.”
And then when she arrived at the first game, all the Taylor Swift were screaming out on Twitter and things, so I switched on the TV.”
Despite her celebrity, Swift maintains her privacy and does not reveal anything. So her admirers began listening to the “New Heights Show” podcast, hoping Kelce or his brother would give something away.
Aside from the chat about the unsuccessful attempt to give Swift the friendship bracelet, the two kept silent on the subject. Nonetheless, individuals became committed, resulting in Taylor Swift being introduced to a new family. And this is a family that enjoys having fun.
“That’s been one positive thing about their relationship—even if they aren’t ‘endgame,'” Courtney Dycus of Conway, Arkansas, said. “Taylor Swift got to know the Kelce family, and they are awesome! I’ve loved learning about Jason and Kylie’s work at the Eagles Autism Foundation and have given to it. I like how much they appear to value their neighborhood and one another.”
It has genuinely been a cascade effect. Everything began with Kelce and Swift’s love story.
“Seeing her in love and supporting her boyfriend is like the kind of romantic movie that all girls dream of, and seeing it in real life is another level,” Berenice Vegara, who hails from Mexico, said.
It’s the damn season
Fast forward to February, and Swift will attend her 13th game as the Chiefs attempt to win back-to-back titles. However, a determined San Francisco 49ers squad stands in their way.
Swift’s supporters, like NFL fans, will be tuned in. However, for many of them, this will be their first time watching the biggest game of the year. And they don’t care what hour it starts.
“The Super Bowl airs at 1:30 a.m. Central African Time, which puts the ending time likely after 5:00 a.m., so we won’t be having a party unfortunately,” Lisa Siebrits, who lives in South Africa, said. “However, my sister and I are currently at a nature reserve for a Super Bowl weekend getaway.”
“We had custom Chiefs T-shirts made, and we will be making Chiefs-themed friendship bracelets before the game,” she went on to say. “We will be waking up (or staying up) to watch, wearing our T-shirts and friendship bracelets, with some snacks and definitely lots of caffeine!”
On the subject of snacks, Carmen Lopez of Santiago, Dominican Republic, is fully adhering to the theme by preparing “American-style snacks.”
Swifties are doing everything they can to catch sight of the star and witness a spectacular football game, regardless of the time of day or night.
“I reside in Poland, and no one is interested in American football. “I’ll probably watch it alone because it starts after midnight in my country,” Dorota Król stated. “I expect it to be exciting and enjoyable! “It will likely be nerve-racking until the Chiefs win.”
And Król isn’t the only one; Vindya Vithana from Sri Lanka has also decided to watch alone. But she has a very definite strategy.
Of course, Razan Youssef from Dubai will tune in at 3:30 a.m. to see the game. He and his family are preparing an all-night Super Bowl celebration. And, while he started watching just to see Swift, that is no longer the case.
“I wanted to know why she was with this person I had never heard of, but then others on the internet began bashing me for not knowing him. So I went to watch a game and attempt to figure out what was going on,” Youssef said. “Not only am I looking forward to seeing Taylor there, hopefully, but I am also really excited about just watching the game itself.”
Rachel Collins from Georgia, on the other hand, will be attending a one-person party rather than dealing with a time difference.
“I’ll be by myself, so we can call that dedication,” she said. “I’ve made sure I have upgraded my Paramount Plus, so I’ve got the CBS subscription to be able to watch.”
Suburban Legends
Throughout this, it’s crucial to spotlight someone who has a somewhat different story.
Erica Dagley Galea is originally from Massachusetts but currently resides in New Jersey. She defines herself as “a longtime football fan.”
While she supports the New England Patriots, her husband is a Chiefs supporter. As a result, their fandom is divided inside the home. However, as the Patriots have struggled in recent seasons, she has become more interested in the Chiefs.
So, with her husband, a football enthusiast, and her kid, a Swiftie, it was the ideal mix.
“The Taylor stuff started happening, and I’ve become, in the past year, more of a Swiftie because of my daughter, and we went to the Eras Tour,” she stated. “So, I had the opposite experience, where Taylor became interested in football while other events in my life drew me closer to her.
And Travis made me get into her.”
As her excitement grew, her friends became a little curious about everything. So she made a simple offer. Football is always on at her house, so anyone is welcome to come join.
“We’ve been doing this; I mean, we didn’t start doing it at the very beginning of the season,” Galea continued, adding that these get-togethers started in November. “Everyone comes to my house on Sundays or whenever the games are. And it’s like, I have a completely packed house. It’s all families.”
And she wouldn’t give up her time with her friends and family for anything.
“It has been the best two and a half months of our lives,” the self-described 40-year-old suburban mother stated. “We were all wonderful friends before, but it simply added something more that we all look forward to, and it has been such a pleasure. And we wouldn’t have had this if Taylor hadn’t been going to games.”
So, before you ask, yes, they will host again on Sunday.
Glitch
Many Swifties are unfamiliar with American football.
Along with attracting new fans from around the United States, the Chiefs and Taylor Swift are helping the NFL reach a worldwide audience like never before.
“It is crucial that I inform you that I am from Brazil. American football was never very popular here since soccer is our major sport. So I had never watched an American football game and had no idea how it operated. “Until Taylor Swift came along,” Maria Sales told A-Z Sports. “I started researching the rules and how the game works, and I found myself watching games from other teams.” I’m watching the Super Bowl now, even if Taylor isn’t there.
I just want to see the Chiefs win the trophy again.
Several more people felt the same way. They had never been exposed to the sport because it is unique to America, although many other sports are played on a worldwide scale on a daily basis.
“As someone who isn’t from America, I have never really paid much attention to football, as it isn’t a sport that is popular where I come from,” said Razan Youssef, a resident of Dubai. “However, this season, I have started watching every game, and I must say, I am super excited about the Super Bowl.”
Several evoked the game of rugby, which once inspired the earliest iterations of American football.
“I grew up watching rugby with my dad and understood those rules from a young age, but football is not really followed in South Africa at all. Honestly, many South Africans see it as inferior to rugby,” Lisa Siebrits said. “However, as a Swiftie, I became intrigued about the sport when I tuned in to catch a glimpse of Taylor at the game.”
