How the ‘Taylor Swift Effect’ Broke NFL Records for the Kansas City Chiefs
As it turns out, not even football is immune to the power Taylor Swift holds–which has been coined as the "Taylor Swift effect."
Thanks to the 14-time Grammy winner, the Kansas City Chiefs broke not one but two NFL records this year, according to Adam Budelli, a spokesperson for StubHub.
Earlier this week, Budelli sat down with Sports Illustrated to discuss Super Bowl LVIII. From ticket prices to foot traffic, StubHub tracks it all and not just data related to the big game, but the overall sales stats of the season.
During his chat, Budelli confirmed that following Swift's first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas City Chiefs broke multiple NFL ticket sale records at the team's home stadium–a phenomenon he called "very unique."
"After her first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium, and in the first 24 hours since then, we saw the highest total sales and highest number of visits ever in 20-year history on StubHub for the Chiefs," Budelli said.
Though he couldn't comment on how the pop superstar's presumed presence at the 2024 Super Bowl could affect ticket sales for an already pricy and highly in-demand game between the Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, he did elaborate on the "Taylor Swift effect" seen throughout the year in Kansas City, Missouri.
"Certainly, for those home Chiefs games, there has been unprecedented demand," Budelli explained. "Especially from a wider audience than you typically see."
"Now there'll be a lot of talk about viewership, and I'm sure that'll be tracked closely," he continued, "But StubHub can confirm for the home Chiefs games Taylor Swift has had an effect."
Now, the NFL's decision to share a glimpse of Swift on the big screen during Chiefs games–despite pushback from some–makes much more sense.
Next: How Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Romance is Bringing Dads and Daughters Together
