The Kansas City Chiefs have officially clinched their spot in Super Bowl LVIII, and everyone is wondering: will the “Taylor Swift Effect” continue on the big game day?
Swift has officially cemented herself in not only the music industry, but the entire world, as a cultural phenomenon. Everywhere she goes and everything she does is documented by fans and the media. As if her Eras Tour wasn’t enough to catapult the global superstar further into the spotlight — becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time at $1 billion — her relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce became the cherry on top of her stardom.
Even before Swift and Kelce became “official” in the public eye, Swift broke the internet by appearing at Kelce’s game. Tickets on the resale market for upcoming Chiefs games began to skyrocket, and everyone began to feel the “Taylor Swift Effect.” There was a reported 400% spike in Kelce’s jersey sales, his podcast rose to No. 1 on Apple, and the football star gained nearly 400,000 Instagram followers. Additionally, over 24 million people watched the Chiefs vs. Bears game, and there was a 63% jump in female viewers between ages 18-49. The Chiefs also sold more tickets in a single day since the start of the season.
The NFL has been very active in their coverage of Swift at various Chiefs games and even defended themselves, noting “the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve leaned into in real time” and described their relationship as “an intersection of sport and entertainment.”
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Now that the Chiefs have officially been tapped as a contender for the Super Bowl, all eyes are on Swift and whether or not she’ll attend the game. Swift is currently on her international leg of the Eras Tour and is slated to wrap-up a four night run at the Tokyo Dome on February 10 — a day before the Chiefs fight for the title of Super Bowl Champion against the San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on February 11.
So, will Swift be able to make it from Tokyo to Las Vegas?
Swifties have been counting the hours and fortunately, it’s possible. Tokyo is 17 hours ahead of Las Vegas time. If she finishes her show in Tokyo around 11 p.m. (6 a.m. Las Vegas time on Super Bowl Eve), she’d be able to make it to Las Vegas on a 13-hour flight. She won’t need to be back on the stage until February 16 when she appears in Melbourne for a three-night residency.
She’s also not new to private jets; it was reported that the star is the world’s most carbon emitting celebrity after 8,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide was emitted from her private jet in 2023. In order to make this trip, Swift would need to fly a private jet that could cover 6,000 miles from Tokyo to Las Vegas. Drew Barrymore even whipped-out a white board to show how the trip would be possible.
While Swift has not publicly commented on whether or not she’s willing to cross the world to see her boyfriend play in the Super Bowl, one thing is for certain: her presence will make all the difference. Practically everything Swift does draws attention, and the Super Bowl — dubbed America’s most-watched sporting event — would only benefit from a Swift appearance.
Rick Porter of The Hollywood Reporter said that Swift could help bump the numbers for the Super Bowl from 115 million to 130 million, noting “that would be a pretty big shock, it something jumped that much from something that was already this big.” Jones & Edmonds of POYNTER said Swift’s appearance could give the Super Bowl the “chance to be the most-viewed U.S.-based telecast of all time.”
And as Swift has proved time and time again, she’s great at breaking records.
