Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was a star in the NFL before he began dating pop star Taylor Swift.
Now his fame has gone to another level after his romance with one of the most famous women in the world.
And Travis Kelce’s career underwent this shocking change after dating Taylor Swift.
Travis Kelce’s off-the-field earnings spike after dating Taylor Swift
Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce’s relationship with pop star Taylor Swift became one of the storylines of last season in the NFL.
Being in a relationship with the pop star is opening up Kelce to a new set of fans.
Swift dominated the music industry for years, on her way to becoming one of the biggest celebrities on the planet.
She’s built a massive and loyal fan base on her way to the top.
Her influence is so great that there’s a “Swift effect” where she can boost sales or engagement of anything she’s associated with.
Now Kelce appears to be a beneficiary of it based on a government filing from the NFL Players Association – the union that represents NFL players.
The NFL Players Association’s annual filing with the Department of Labor revealed that his earnings from royalties jumped by 177% last season, his first dating Swift.
Kelce earned $2.4 million in group licensing and marketing income from things like jersey sales, video games, and trading cards.
That was fourth in the NFL behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and his Chiefs teammate, quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes saw his royalty income jump by 53% last season to make him tops in the league for licensing and marketing earnings.
Taylor Swift brought new attention to the NFL
Swift’s relationship with Kelce sparked the interest of some of her massive fanbase in the Chiefs and the NFL.
When she began attending Chiefs games after they went public with their relationship last September, there were reports that ratings increased for women in the 18-49 demographic for Chiefs games.
Ticket sales for Chiefs home games spiked by 235% after Swift went to her first game in Kansas City to cheer Kelce on.
Fanatics said that Kelce’s jersey sales saw a 400% increase on their site after his relationship with Swift went public.
Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning told ABC’s Good Morning America last November that the Swift effect had come to the NFL.
“I think it makes it fun,” Manning said. “I have three daughters, 12, 10, and 8. When the Chiefs are playing, they are watching that game and looking for Taylor. It makes them enjoy the games and get into it.”
Manning thought that Kelce did a good job handling the increased attention his relationship with Swift brought.
“I think he is handling it very well,” Manning said. “You’re dating maybe the most popular person in the world right now, so there’s a lot of questions about it. I think he is handling everything very well. He is staying focused on playing football, doing his job.”
Taylor Swift’s fame is spilling over into the NFL to the benefit of the Chiefs and her boyfriend.
