Two of the biggest brands in pop culture have collided into each other with full force. NFL superstar Travis Kelce and American pop star Taylor Swift have taken over social media after the recent rumors of their relationship. Coverage exploded on the topic after Swift made an appearance at Kelce’s game on September 24th, and was seen leaving with him in a limo. 

In the days since their soft launch, Kelce’s jersey sales have skyrocketed over 400%, and NFL viewership had a spike - the normally middle-aged male dominated audience being taken over by Swifties. According to Kelce’s brother, during the Chiefs-Jets primetime showdown, the camera panned to Swift 17 times. NFL insider Ari Meirov commented on the situation saying “At some point this is getting a little ridiculous….” However popular the two may be, many viewers, along with Meirov, have begun questioning who the real star of the show is.

Sure, it’s a fun new romance, but it’s gone too far. In fact, on his brother’s podcast, Kelce himself stated “... everybody is just overwhelmed… They’re overdoing it a little bit.” It seems like all anyone is talking about in the realm of the NFL is Swift. The NFL even changed their social media bios coming out as Swifties. The focus has seemingly drifted away from the real show, the game, and shifted towards a more pop-culture-ish, money-grabbing approach. This dynamic is not what the fans of the league want, as echoed throughout social media. Fans are starting to feel a bias towards the Chiefs—Kelce’s team—which could be extremely damaging to the integrity of the league. 

In statements made by the NFL, they’ve defended their actions, stating “We frequently change…. Based on what’s happening in and around our game.” For the league, this is an extremely efficient way to make money. An entirely new audience is now locked in on their screens every weekend. 

This duo has blown up the NFL to proportions which have never been seen. Although it’s a pop culture moment few will soon forget, by the league overdoing the story, they are losing interest from long-time fans, and putting its integrity in question.