• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, October 9, 2023

Will the NFL and whatever games Taylor Swift shows up to in the next several weeks on TV keep the league buzzing -- as well as potentially pulling in new long-term viewers and fans?

It depends if there is an expiration date on the friendship bands that Swift trades with Travis Kelce, I guess.

The NFL can only hope. Last week's NBC “Sunday Night Football” spent a lot of TV time and mentions on Swift's appearance in the game, in which the Kansas City Chiefs beat the New York Jets. 

So we are left to wonder... does this mean anything going forward for the league that has been primarily a male-dominated TV viewer-centric sport -- that perhaps it could attract some new viewers?

NBC in its press materials talked up Swift's appearance, as well as that fact it produced a video promo featuring her. And then there were the social media posts from the league itself with reference to the Swifties. All that says something. 

And just to give that spin some meaningful bottom-line financial gravitas, it revealed viewer improvements for all female demographic groups.  In total, the “SNF” broadcast pushed up female viewers by two million over its seasonal average.

Not bad for sure. But consider -- the game averaged 24 million viewers that night. So that is less than 10%.

Why has there been all this attention -- especially when Swift wasn't going to take out her guitar and sing in between punts and passes? 

Separate from the actual friendship/romance/pal status with Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL would like to grow its audience -- more younger and, yes, more diverse audience segments -- including women.

This is not to say the NFL believes women viewers will have parity with men in TV-aired games. Nor will it get the female share that, say, Olympics figure skating has. But maybe it can just add some more.

Right now, all this timing is tentative. Swift is still on her U.S. tour through November 23. (It started up March 17). She's a busy girl. Near-term that means another seven weekends of NFL's thinking.

Now, to be sure, the mere possible video sightings of her by TV-fan centric networks probably will wear thin soon. After all, she's not performing -- just enjoying herself at a football game, which happens to be the most-watched program series on television.

Then again, if it goes on for some time -- and/or the Chiefs continue to enjoy more success, as well as in the playoffs and perhaps the Super Bowl -- expect more stuff from everyone, possibly savvy on-air NFL marketers looking to join in the fun.

If not, and all the excitement disappears, you'll just have to shake it off.