If there’s one person leaving no stone unturned in Travis Kelce’s hot start to the season, it’s Taylor Swift. Even Andy Reid sees it, and so do fans. Both games at the Arrowhead so far had Swift in the stands, shouting in support of her partner. But as one journalist sees it, the NFL is overdoing it by putting her in the spotlight in every single broadcast.
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Digital Editor at DenverSports James Merilatt’s frustration summed up what plenty were thinking. Sunday’s Chiefs-Colts broadcast kept cutting to Taylor Swift in the stands, and viewers weren’t shy about saying so.
According to the critics, Travis Kelce has spent years building his reputation on the field, but for long stretches of this game, the cameras seemed more interested in who was watching him.
“They do a concert during the Super Bowl for a reason,” Merilatt said. “It’s not for the football fans. The football fans are going to tune in no matter what; they’re there to watch the game. It’s to bring in the casual fan, right? They want to watch whoever the artist is and have something to talk about the next day at the water cooler when they go to work.”
“The Chiefs are back. They’re going to get an audience. We don’t need to see Taylor Swift. We get it. She’s married to Travis Kelce. Understood. We’ve all heard about it. We’ve all seen it a million times. You know what? If you want to show her once, fine. We don’t need to see it eight, nine, ten times a game. Every time a ball goes in Travis Kelce’s direction, there it is. We’re going to pan up to the stands, and we’re going to see Taylor Swift up in the box. I’m over it.”
Now this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this criticism. In the three years that Kelce and Swift have been together, anytime she has been at a game, she’s been in the spotlight. Travis Kelce even addressed it back in 2023. “Damn, that’s crazy. That’s like once a drive. But at the same time, I think they’re overdoing it a little bit for sure, especially my situation.”
The league, however, described the Swift-Kelce storyline as a “pop-cultural moment” and said it had embraced the attention around the pair, especially considering the positive attention it brings.
“We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what’s happening in and around our games, as well as culturally,” the NFL wrote in its statement in 2023 via ESPN. “The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve leaned into in real time, as it’s an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we’ve seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport.”
In the months following that incident, Rob Hyland, the coordinating producer for NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts, had explained their formula for showing Swift on the broadcast, as they had gradually reduced putting her in the spotlight.
“It is always a balance with what’s happening on the field and how you can enhance what’s happening on the field. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, let’s, let’s show her this many times.’ It was, ‘Hey, when appropriate, let’s remind the audience that she’s there.’”
That was the pattern broadcasts followed. The incidents of showing Swift on the broadcast decreased, and in 2025, Swift’s appearances at the Arrowhead were kept under wraps. But in 2026, after the wedding, she has been in the spotlight for both their games.
On Sunday night, she brought the whole scene with her. It was her second appearance at Arrowhead this season, having already turned heads at Kansas City’s season-opening win over Denver. This time, she watched from the VIP suite with her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, and the cameras found her again and again throughout the night.
The biggest moment came early. After Travis Kelce hauled in his first touchdown of the season, the broadcast cut straight to Swift, who was seen pointing at her wedding ring as she celebrated.
But that wasn’t the only time viewers saw her. Between the second and third quarters, cameras kept circling back, catching her reactions alongside her mom more than once. And the reason is bigger than her relationship with Kelce.
According to 2024 reports, Swift generated an estimated $331.5 million in equivalent brand value for the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL. It’s brought a new demographic to the sport. We’ve seen celebrities attend games, but Swift’s presence has brought in consistent benefits to the league.
That’s why, like previous seasons, the NFL might not pay heed to the critics over Swift’s appearances on camera this year either, especially with the couple having already married in July.
As for Swift, she’s simply turning up to support her partner, as he finds success after weeks of criticism around his figure. Her support has been crucial in Kelce’s return for his 14th season. That’s what coach Reid believes as well.
“Everybody questioned with the wedding and all that, would he be out of shape and honeymooning the whole time and all that. But he works his rear end off. And I think Taylor, you’re putting on four-hour shows. You’ve got to work hard, too. I’m sure she kicks him in the butt a little bit there, too.”
So far, it’s worked. Week 1 had Travis Kelce pull off a near-60-yard catch-and-run that saw him overtake Jason Witten. In Week 2, he added a touchdown, leading the Chiefs to their second win of the season.
If he keeps his hot streak going, it’s likely we’re going to keep seeing the broadcast cut to Swift shouting in support of the tight end.