Yahoo Lifestyle What Retired Wide Receiver Julian Edelman Really Thinks About Taylor Swift's Impact on the NFL (Exclusive)
Taylor Swift, Julian Edelman
Ever since Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift went public with their relationship, the media has closely followed their blossoming romance. Fellow professional athletes, celebrities and regular folks alike have shared their (sometimes negative) opinions about the pop superstar's visibility at Kansas City Chiefs games. It's been a whole thing.
However, retired wide receiver Julian Edelman has a different take about Swift's impact on the NFL.
During an exclusive Zoom interview with Parade, Edelman opened up about Swelce/Tayvis mania ahead of Super Bowl LVIII while promoting Bounty's Ultimate Wingmen campaign.
"I think it's good for the league," he shared. "She's bringing eyeballs to the NFL, we're getting new fans."
Edelman is correct. On Oct. 1, when Swift attended the Chiefs-Jets game, Peacock averaged 27 million viewers—the most of a Sunday night game since Super Bowl LVII—per NBC Sports. And the Chief-Ravens game on Jan. 28 was the most watched AFC Championship Game (55.5 million viewers), a 17-percent increase from 2023, according to CBS Sports.
Not to mention, Swift's presence at NFL games caused viewership among young female viewers to skyrocket and sales of Kelce's jersey to spike 400%, Forbes reported.
"And you know, Travis is a pretty cool dude. He can handle it," Edelman added. "He's shown throughout these playoffs when the lights are shining the brightest, he's out there making the biggest plays with Taylor in the crowd."
Hopefully, the good luck Swift brings to Chiefs games continues for Super Bowl LVIII!
Pre-game programming, including musical performances, for the 2024 Super Bowl starts at 6 p.m. ET on Feb. 11, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET.
