Taylor Swift's stadium stop hikes up ticket prices for Chiefs-Jets game
Updated October 1, 2023 at 8:52 PM ET
Wherever Taylor Swift goes, the money follows.
Ticket prices for the Kansas City Chiefs vs. New York Jets game on Sunday night jumped after reports that the popstar would be there — presumably to cheer on her rumored beau, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Indeed, Swift showed up ahead of kickoff, becoming a major talking point among NBC broadcasters during the pre-game show.
Although she arrived alongside a few major Hollywood players — including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman — the talk was all Taylor.
"I'm not going to make a Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift joke — I think we know those jokes all too well," said fantasy sports commentator Matthew Berry.
In one promo, a tag line for the Chiefs-Jets game read "Taylor-made for primetime."
After the news surfaced that Swift would be at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the price for cheap seats rose 10% percent to $152, according to Gametime, an online marketplace for last-minute tickets. The average ticket price shot up 35% to $380 on Friday.
Since being linked to Kelce, Swift's support for the pro football player has brought an economic boost to the NFL franchise and beyond.
Swift's appearance at last week's Chiefs game set off a media frenzy and drove sales of Kelce's jersey to climb some 400%. His podcast hit #1 on the Apple charts. Memes born from her visit to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., moved brands — even a building — to capitalize on the moment.
The NFL panned to Taylor nine times during last week's game, Axios reported, becoming a magnet for Swifties, the nickname for the megastar's fans. That game became the week's most-watched show, racking up over 24 million viewers. The league even ran a commercial on Fox, embracing the rumors swirling around Swift and Kelce.
Swifties flocked to businesses in the Kansas City area that the musician was said to have visited.
The last time Taylor Swift was seen at MetLife Stadium was in May, during a three-day stop on her "Eras Tour," where she broke audience records. [Copyright 2023 NPR]
