AdVenture Media tracked the Taylor Swift Effect in real-time throughout Super Bowl Sunday. In partnership with our data partners and in-house analytics team, our model portrays a sophisticated estimate of earned media value to the NFL along with other key metrics and stats.
A data-drive model quantifying the Taylor Swift Effect on the NFL during Super Bowl LVIII. AdVenture Media's proprietary model, combining live social-listening data and historic statistics, will predict the NFL's total earned media value of the Taylor Swift effect.
This past Super Bowl Sunday, AdVenture Media's analytics team plugged into multiple API feeds, to update our model throughout the day. For media relations, please contact AdVenture Media here.
Total number of all combined followers of all posts across X (formerly Twitter), Meta, and TikTok mentioning "Taylor Swift" in addition to either [Travis Kelce] and/or [Super Bowl] and/or [Chiefs] and/or [NFL]
Total number of all combined engagements (likes, comments, shares) on all posts mentioning "Taylor Swift" in addition to either [Travis Kelce] and/or [Super Bowl] and/or [Chiefs] and/or [NFL]
Using historic engagement rates and total volume of actual engagements, an estimated number of actual impressions seen by users
Paid media budget required to replicate the total viewable impressions generated by Taylor Swift.
Number of influencers who have posted about the Taylor Swift Super Bowl today
Value of influencer posts if they were paid influencer activations
There was an uptick in post volume between 12 a.m and 1 a.m February 11th as news of Taylor Swift arriving in Las Vegas began to circulate. In that hour, we tracked over 6,000 posts mentioning Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl. But the volume of posts mentioning Taylor Swift in relationship to the Super Bowl continued to increase throughout the day, peaking at just under 200,000 new posts between 11 p.m and midnights after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII in overtime.
Taylor Swift's relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been a polarizing one, with roughly 50% of posts talking about the relationship—and what it means to the NFL—in a demonstrably positive light. But there's no questioning the whopping value the Taylor Swift Effect had on the NFL, especially throughout Super Bowl Sunday, and the data show Taylor Swift generating a shocking amount of awareness for the NFL.
While official numbers aren't in yet, we don't expect this Super Bowl LVIII ratings to dramatically exceed last year's Super Bowl, which drew 115,000,000 viewers. The only broadcast TV program in history with higher ratings was the Apollo 11 moon landing, which drew over 125M viewers in 1969.
Assuming Super Bowl LVIII drew a record 120,000 viewers, how much does a brand advertising in the Super Bowl need to spend to reach each viewer? According to CBS, a 30-second spot in Super Bowl LVIII cost $7,000,000. The cost of talent, agency fees and production could easily bring the final cost of a 30 second ad to $9,500,000, almost exactly what AdVenture Media's model projects the earned media value of the Taylor Swift Effect to be on Super Bowl sunday alone.
Assuming an advertiser cost of $9.5M and 120M viewers, and assuming 100% of viewers watched the ad, the cost per viewer to advertise in Super Bowl LVIII would be $0.079 per viewer.
In other words, it cost advertisers $9,500,000 to get their brand in front of a hundred and twenty million pairs of eyes.
But based on our predictive economic model and real-time data, Taylor Swift's involvement with Travis Kelce helped get the NFL brand in front of roughly half a billion pairs of eyes.
And the NFL didn't have to pay a penny for that eye watering level of exposure (presumably).
Let's imagine the NFL shelled out the full $9,500,000 it would cost in performance advertising to reach 500 million people. That would amount to a cost per viewer of $0.019, a 76% savings compared with a traditional 30 second ad.
So not only did Taylor Swift help the NFL receive close to ten times the exposure over Super Bowl sunday a brand receives during a 30-second commercial, the NFL would have had to pay just about the same $9,500,000 to replicate the level of awareness generated by Taylor Swift fans—and haters—alike.
While the debate will rage on, this top-performing post from our analysis bookends the debate beautifully.
Total number of original posts about Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl on X
Total number of aggergate engagements across all posts on X
Percentage of X posts portraying Taylor Swift in a positive light
Total number of original posts about Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl on Instagram
Total number of aggergate engagements across all posts on Instagram
Percentage of Instagram posts portraying Taylor Swift in a positive light
Other models tracking the Taylor Swift Effect have played fast and loose with their data and estimates. AdVenture invested in the highest-quality data, purchasing direct API pulls from X, Meta, and TikTok, combining that real-time data with accurate CPM benchmarks.
We encourage publishers to quote and reference our model, but we ask you to credit AdVenture Media as your source.
For additional information or context, please reach out to us at info@adventureppc.com
The "Taylor Swift Effect" is a phenomenon that encapsulates the significant cultural and economic influence exerted by the pop superstar, Taylor Swift. This effect extends far beyond mere celebrity appeal, impacting various sectors including music, entertainment, and notably, sports like the NFL.
Key evidence of the Taylor Swift Effect emerged vividly in 2023. For instance, when Swift attended a Kansas City Chiefs game, it resulted in a surge of related activities and metrics. Her presence at the game led to a 400% spike in Travis Kelce jersey sales, a significant increase in Kelce’s social media following, a number one ranking for Kelce’s podcast, and an overall rise in viewership for the game, particularly among female viewers aged 18-49. This game became the most-watched of the week and saw a tripling in both web searches for the Chiefs and ticket sales on platforms like StubHub.
The impact of Taylor Swift extends to the economic sphere as well. Her "Eras Tour" generated substantial revenue, with each show grossing around $13 million, contributing to over $300 million after just the first 22 concerts. This success reflects not only in ticket sales but also in merchandise and sponsorships, influencing consumer behavior and spending patterns. The tour is predicted to surpass $1 billion in global ticket sales, potentially outdoing Elton John's record-setting tour revenue.
Swift's influence is so vast that it touches upon education and policy reform. For example, in 2023, her advocacy led to changes in permit processes for visiting performers in Indonesia. Universities like UC Berkeley, NYU, and others have introduced Taylor Swift-inspired courses, reflecting her impact on education and pop culture. Museums have also showcased exhibitions dedicated to Swift's work, underlining her influence in the art and design world.
From an economic standpoint, the "Taylor Swift Effect" or "Swiftonomics" represents a unique intersection of emotion and capitalism. Her ability to connect deeply with fans and the general public has led to a broad impact, from boosting local economies through her concerts to influencing global trends in merchandise and media consumption
Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL is significant, particularly in terms of audience engagement, merchandise sales, and viewership. The so-called "Taylor Swift Effect" has notably boosted the NFL's appeal, especially among demographics not traditionally associated with football.
One of the most striking impacts of Swift's association with the NFL is the surge in sales of specific merchandise. For instance, following Swift's attendance at a Kansas City Chiefs game and her rumored relationship with the team's tight end, Travis Kelce, there was a nearly 400% increase in Kelce's jersey sales. This spike was noted by sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, the NFL's official e-commerce partner.
Swift's presence at NFL games has also driven a notable rise in viewership, particularly among younger female audiences. This was evident when the viewership for the Chiefs' game on September 24, 2023, spiked 63% week-over-week among women aged 18-49, a key demographic of Swift's fanbase. Additionally, the game became the most-watched of the week, and there was a threefold increase in searches for the Chiefs on the web.
Moreover, Swift's influence is seen in the increased social media following of NFL players she is associated with. Travis Kelce, for example, added 383,000 Instagram followers following Swift's attendance at the Chiefs game. This kind of social media growth extends the reach and popularity of NFL players beyond traditional sports audiences.
The "Taylor Swift Effect" on the NFL isn't just limited to merchandise sales and social media. It's also about bringing a new demographic to the sport. The NFL, traditionally seen as a male-dominated arena, gains a unique opportunity to engage with a younger, more diverse audience, potentially including fans who may have felt excluded before. This shift could have long-term benefits for the league in terms of broadening its fan base and increasing overall engagement.
Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL extends beyond traditional metrics of success, tapping into new demographics and creating a surge in merchandise sales, social media engagement, and viewership, thereby enhancing the league's appeal to a broader audience.
Our model incorporates data tracked in real-time through multiple APIs and data partners, "listening" for any mention across X, Meta, TikTok, and online publishers for posts and/or articles mentioning Taylor Swift combined with modifiers like "Travis Kelce", "Super Bowl", "NFL", and "Chiefs".
Throughout Super Bowl Sunday, the AdVenture Media data team will be updating the metrics above with real-time data, refreshed every 30 minutes.
Being that AdVenture Media is a leading digital agency that has bought hundreds of millions of dollars worth of advertising space across these social channels, we understand the value of an impression, click, share, and comment. Furthermore, our analysts understand the range of values of these metrics across different channels and platforms. For example, a retweet on X is more valuable—meaning, the exposure would cost more to reproduce with paid advertising—than a like on a Facebook post.
Our model dynamically calculates the estimated earned media for the NFL as a direct result of the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce relationship.
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