The Swiftie effect is real: Survey finds 20% of Super Bowl viewers rooted for the Chiefs because of Taylor Swift

Patrick Mahomes may have been crowned MVP, but there’s one celeb who certainly made an impact at this year’s Super Bowl: Taylor Swift.

All eyes were on the pop star during the big game as she cheered on her new boyfriend Travis Kelce, tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, as he won the third Super Bowl of his NFL career. But she may have more of an impact on a game than expected.

A new survey from consumer research firm Numerator found that 20% of viewers who tuned in to the 2024 Super Bowl were rooting for the Chiefs because of Kelce and Swift’s relationship, per Variety.

The Chiefs generally had the 49ers beat in the survey, with 48% of viewers saying they cheered for the Kansas City team, while only 37% cheered for the 49ers. Thirteen percent of viewers claimed they cheered for neither team.

Though the ratings have not been announced for Sunday’s game, it is already expected to beat last year’s record of 115 million viewers – and Swift may be partially to thank for that.

Another recent survey from Numerator found that 20% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers said that they were more likely to watch if Swift attended the game.

In just one season, Swift has become a staple at Chiefs games. She attended her first NFL game to support Kelce back in September, sparking an immediate spike in interest for the player and his team. According to CBS News, sales for his jersey shot up 400%, and StubHub reported that they saw triple the interest in ticket sales for Chiefs home games.

But Numerator’s post-Super Bowl survey found that the pop star’s presence at the games remains a divisive topic for NFL fans.

When asked if they think “Taylor Swift is a distraction for the NFL,” 34% of viewers said they “somewhat” or “completely” agree, while 34% “somewhat” or “completely” disagree. Thirty-two percent said they did not agree or disagree.

This has been a successful season overall for the NFL, as they saw record ratings on television and streaming in their 2023 season, marking the largest viewership they’ve had since 2015, per Nielsen.

Nielsen is expected to release the ratings for this year’s Super Bowl Monday afternoon, according to The Wall Street Journal.