Swifties boost Superbowl numbers

Why will Superbowl have millions more viewers this year?

It’s nothing to do with American football (or just ‘football’ as they call it in the USA!) and everything to do with singer and popular icon, Taylor Swift.

It’s not that the event is short of viewers; it is estimated that over 100 million tuned in globally to watch last year’s Superbowl, although that should be compared to the 1.5 billion who watched the FIFA World Cup final around the world.

However, it’s worth remembering that football (or soccer – and yes, I know!) is played in 230 countries while the American version is very much a domestic phenomenon.

Boyfriend Travis Kelce

So, back to Taylor Swift: Superbowl 2024 features the San Francisco 49ers against reigning champions the Kansas City Chiefs and, Travis Kelce, one of the Chiefs’ star players is currently dating the singer. She has been a regular at Chiefs’ games and it has been reported that she has boosted the value of the team by around $100 million and has been responsible for a 400 per cent increase in sales of boyfriend Kelce’s jersey.

For the first time this year, USA streaming channel Peacock live streamed the play-off match featuring the Chiefs against the Miami Dolphins. Sports fans paid $5.99 a month to sign up for the service but the numbers were inflated by fans of the singer (or ‘Swifties’ as they are known). According to Nielsen, the match reached 27.6 million total viewers, making it the most streamed live event in USA history.

Will Taylor Swift perform?

It’s not known if Taylor will even make it to the match; she is performing in Tokyo the night before the big match. But, with Japan 17 hours ahead of Superbowl’s venue in Las Vegas, it’s highly likely she will turn up. There are also even rumours that she might perform a couple of songs at half-time.

So, many Swifties around the globe will be tuning in at midnight (CET) on Sunday February 11, not to see who wins this spectacle of a sporting event, but just to catch a 5-second glimpse of the singer cheering on ‘her’ team.

Will you be staying up ’til the early hours to watch?