Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is expected to be in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl showdown with the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11.
However, the attendance of his girlfriend, mega-pop star Taylor Swift, at the event remains uncertain and is shaping up to be a game-time decision.
Swift was spotted in the stands cheering for the Chiefs and was later captured on camera congratulating her boyfriend with a hug and kiss after the Chiefs' 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. This immediately led to speculation about whether one of the world's best-selling recording artists will grace Allegiant Stadium with her presence.
Despite being a regular at Chiefs games throughout the season, Swift might miss the grand event due to scheduling conflicts with her "Eras Tour." She is slated to perform in Tokyo on Feb. 10, the night before the Super Bowl.
Considering the time difference, Swift could get to Las Vegas for kickoff on Sunday but will then have to quickly get back on a plane for three concerts in Melbourne, Australia starting Feb. 16.
Some fans will be flying Air Swift to the Super Bowl, with United Airlines on Monday adding additional direct flights to Las Vegas from Kansas City with specially themed Swift-related flight numbers.
The flights will be lettered UA1989 for Swift’s birth year and one of her albums, UA2287 for the Grammy winner's hit song "22," and Kelce's jersey number 87, and UA1587 for Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes' sweater numbers.
To ensure they are not seen to be taking sides, United Airlines also said it will be putting on additional direct flights from San Francisco and San Jose with 49ers themes.
Two of the most powerful forces in American pop culture, the Kelce-Swift romance has been pure gold for the National Football League. It has spiked interest across social media and increased merchandise sales with Swift bringing along her army of fans known as "Swifties."
Sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, the NFL's official e-commerce partner, said in September there was a nearly 400% spike in sales of Travis Kelce jerseys on its websites.
Such is the fascination with the power couple that Swift-Kelce became one of the most popular Halloween costumes of 2023.
Swift, whose fame far eclipses that of Kelce's, brings megawatt star power that is virtually unprecedented – even in the NFL. Her mere presence in Las Vegas could make the game the most-watched Super Bowl of all time.
The love story, according to research done by Apex Marketing Group, has brought millions of dollars of added brand value to the Chiefs and the NFL.
"Taylor Swift's association with Travis Kelce and appearances at the Chiefs games has generated an equivalent brand value of $331.5 million for the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL," said Apex President Eric Smallwood to Reuters in an email.
"The equivalent brand value (EBV) is derived from exposure received by Swift/Chiefs from Sept. 24-Jan. 22 from various media (TV, radio, newsprint, digital news, social media)."
