A new poll has revealed that almost 13million Brits will tune in this weekend to watch Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce go for Super Bowl glory with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Appearing in their fourth Super Bowl in the last five years, the Chiefs will take on San Francisco 49ers in a repeat of the 2020 showpiece, which the Chiefs won 31-20.
But much of the talk in the build-up to Sunday’s showdown has centered around Chiefs tight end Kelce and his blossoming relationship with pop star Swift.
The couple have been dating since the beginning of the NFL season last September, and it has emerged that this has led to a significant increase in interest in the sport in the UK.
Research from streaming service NOW has discovered that 24 per cent of Brits – the equivalent of nearly 13million – are planning to watch the Super Bowl, with 51 per cent of respondents who identify as ‘Swifties’ stating that they will be tuning in.
These numbers only improve when looking specifically at Gen Z, with 38 per cent planning to watch, and 22 per cent in this category admitting the main reason will be to try and catch a glimpse of Swift cheering on Kelce.
A fifth of people polled (20 per cent) claimed they are now more likely to watch this year’s Super Bowl than last year’s nail-biter that was also won by the Chiefs as they edged out Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
This rise in popularity cannot all be attributed to Swift, though, with 44 per cent of fans saying they will be watching simply due to enjoying the sport, while 26 per cent cited the food and 25 per cent noted the half time performance as another reason to watch.
This year’s half time show will be performed by R&B legend Usher, who also made an appearance in 2011 alongside The Black Eyed Peas.
Swift has attended a number of Kelce’s matches in recent months, and they celebrated on the field together after the Chiefs beat Baltimore Ravens to reach the Super Bowl last month.
Another emotional on-field celebration could be on the cards if Kelce and co. win again in Las Vegas.
Ahead of the match, Kelce has praised Swift for being ‘all in’ when it comes to supporting his team, claiming ‘she’s part of Chiefs Kingdom 100 per cent’.
The media scrutiny is only set to increase on Kelce as Sunday approaches, but his team-mate Patrick Mahomes has insisted he is the ‘hardest working guy in the building’, as he backed Kelce to handle the pressure and shine on the big stage.
