Kansas City Chiefs‘ nine-time Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce may have been the least expected person one might have picked as a potential match for popstar Taylor Swift. After all, he is not the typical “Prince Charming” that Swift alludes to in so many of her early work, and seems to be a much better description of the “Trouble” she sings about in more recent work.

However, back in September, Kelce and Swift made their relationship public and, in so doing, changed the lives of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people.

Fathers and Daughters Bonded Over Football Thanks to Taylor Swift Dating Kansas City Chiefs Star Travis Kelce

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses girlfriend Taylor Swift as they celebrate after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
When the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift relationship became public, the 14-time Grammy Award winner started showing up to various Chiefs games to support her boyfriend and the team. This resulted in both stadium and television camera crews showing Swift sitting with Donna Kelce (Travis’ mother) and other Chiefs family members in luxury boxes of stadiums.

The attention Swift garnered actually did not amount to much air time when looking at the full-scale of the game itself. For example, she was shown on television for a whole 24 seconds of Super Bowl LVIII, which lasted over three hours.

Still, the fact that Swift was at a Chiefs game and could be shown on television at any given point led to a rise in interest in the NFL among female viewers. It also led to some bonding moments between daughters and their fathers, as this commercial made before Super Bowl LVIII demonstrates:

As much as some people (usually middle-aged men) would complain about the attention Swift received whenever she attended a game, the effect she had on viewership around the NFL cannot be denied. Super Bowl LVIII had over 120 million people watching, making it the most-watched Super Bowl of all time.

Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce Has a Somewhat Surprising Opinion on “the Taylor Swift Effect”

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Taylor Swift reacts after Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (not pictured) scores a touchdown in the 2024 AFC divisional round game between against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In a recently resurfaced interview from before the Super Bowl, Kelce was asked his thoughts on how Swift’s presence at his games has led to a rise in ratings. He replied:
“I’m very aware [of the impact our romance has on the NFL, and how many women now are watching]. Obviously, this is mostly because Taylor’s in my life now and we got her [to be] part of Chiefs Kingdom.

“And sure enough, that brought an entire entourage of human beings who just love to support her and love to support everything that she’s about.”
When asked what he thoughts on how their relationship has led to fathers and daughters being able to bond over football, Kelce called it “beautiful.”

For what some might call the more typical or stereotypical football fan, Kelce’s response may be surprising. Instead of blowing it off as something he could care less about in the brutish way some perceive him, he labels it as something beautiful.

And it is.

Now that the season is over, Kelce is presumably heading off to Australia where Swift is currently performing for her Eras Tour. During the Chiefs’ Bye Week last season, he went to Argentina to watch her performances there, as well. Now it is his turn to be the supportive partner.

Hopefully those fathers whose daughters took an interest in football because of the relationship can also now take some interest in, or at the very least show appreciation for, Swift’s music.