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Super Bowl Era: 'Taylor Swift effect'
LiveNOW from FOX's Jeane Franseen caught up with Virginia Tech University Professor Donna Wertalik about the effect Taylor Swift is having on the Super Bowl. Tonight the San Francisco 49ers will face off the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LOS ANGELES - As the excitement for the 2024 NFL season builds, the league's latest promotional video has fans buzzing for reasons that go beyond the gridiron. Football is back, and so is the NFL’s apparent obsession with Taylor Swift. The promo, which highlights key moments from the 2023 season, prominently features the pop superstar, much to the frustration of many football purists.
Swift, who became a fixture at Kansas City Chiefs games last season while supporting her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, is shown five times throughout the video.
Her appearances range from celebrating in the stands with Kelce’s mother to sharing a post-game kiss with the tight end after the Chiefs’ AFC Championship victory. This heavy focus on Swift has led to questions about the NFL’s marketing strategy, especially when compared to the relatively minimal screen time given to star players like Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy.
Why are Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy missing from the NFL’s promo?
The absence of key players such as Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL’s new promo has not gone unnoticed.
Both quarterbacks were instrumental in their teams' success last season, making their exclusion even more puzzling. The decision to focus on off-the-field moments involving Swift instead of highlighting these athletes has led to speculation about the NFL’s priorities.
Even Patrick Mahomes, widely regarded as the face of the NFL, only makes a brief appearance at the end of the video, lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. This creative choice suggests that the NFL might be looking to broaden its appeal by leveraging Swift’s massive global fanbase, rather than solely spotlighting its football stars.
Fan reactions: Taylor Swift’s overexposure in the NFL promo
The NFL’s decision to feature Swift so heavily in its 2024 season promo has sparked a wave of backlash from fans. Social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), have been flooded with comments from frustrated viewers.
One fan expressed their disbelief by noting, "Taylor Swift was shown 5 times in this 28-second clip of football being back." Another fan bluntly stated, "STOP SHOWING TAYLOR SWIFT WE DON’T CARE."
Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift react as they see Mecole Hardman Jr. #12 of the Kansas City Chiefs following the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadi … ((Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images))
The consensus among fans seems to be that while a single appearance by Swift could have been a fun nod to her recent NFL connections, making her the focal point of a football promo feels excessive. Some fans even went as far as to joke that the video seemed more like a "Taylor Swift hype video" than an NFL season teaser.
Will Taylor Swift attend the Chiefs’ season opener?
With Swift's "Eras Tour" not resuming until mid-October, there’s speculation about whether she will attend the Chiefs' season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Her appearance could further stoke the ongoing debate about her role in the NFL’s promotional content and how it might affect the league's traditional fanbase.