Taylor Swift watches the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears game on Sept. 24. Photo: David Eulitt/Getty Images
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce has seen sales of his merchandise shoot up nearly 400% after Taylor Swift attended Sunday's Chiefs game.
Why it matters: Swift has enough star power to give the NFL — already the most-watched sports league in the country — a major boost.
- Stubhub ticket sales for the Chiefs home games increased threefold and Kelce has more than 325,000 new Instagram followers.
- Swift's mega tour across the U.S. this year boosted the economy as fans traveled, booked lodging, and prepared for the concerts.
Driving the news: "On Sunday, Travis Kelce was one of the top 5 selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com," sports merchandising giant Fanatics told Axios in a statement.
- The Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday was the most-watched NFL on any network last week. It was also the most-watched game among women aged 12-49, according to Front Office Sports.
The big picture: In a 24-hour window after Swift's appearance at the game, Stubhub said ticket sales for Chiefs home games increased threefold compared to the days prior.
- Kelce's surge in popularity has extended to his social media follower count. He gained about 325,000 new Instagram followers over the past week.
- That's more than he gained after winning the Super Bowl earlier this year, Front Office Sports reported Monday.
Zoom out: The NFL has jumped on the internet hype bandwagon, changing its bio description on X, formerly known as Twitter, to "NFL (Taylor's Version)."
- The NFL also made its header photo on its X profile a picture of Swift cheering on the game while sitting next to Kelce's mother, Donna.