Taylor Swift has been a beloved member of Chiefs Kingdom since she started dating Travis Kelce, but the franchise has made a point to never exploit their high-profile relationship.
“My job early on in this was — and I told Travis this — we’re going to treat you and your relationship with the same respect that we treat any other player in the country’s relationship,” Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan said on Up & Adams on Monday, December 1. “It’s a relationship. Like, we’re not going to monetize it. We’re not going to go out there and go crazy.”
Donovan, 59, continued, “All those shots you see of Taylor in the stadium — he scores a touchdown, he makes a catch, [the TV cameras] go to Taylor, especially the first year — we never showed Taylor on our big boards in our stadium. It was respectful. It’s like, we’re not going to do that. We’re not taking advantage of this relationship.”
Swift, 35, made her first appearance at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023, confirming her relationship with the Chiefs’ superstar tight end.
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The couple announced their engagement in August of this year. All the while, Swift has been a regular fixture at Chiefs games.
“Taylor’s been amazing to us,” Donovan gushed. “It’s been nothing but good. She is a phenomenon. But she is just a special, kind person.”
Right before the couple got engaged, Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt discussed the real impact Swift’s relationship with Kelce has had on his franchise.
“It certainly has opened up an opportunity for us to connect with a new demographic from a fan standpoint,” Hunt told The Hollywood Reporter in August. “I’m pretty sure that the Chiefs ranked No. 1 among NFL teams in the female demographic. From the time that Taylor started dating Travis, we’ve seen a big shift from approximately 50 percent male and female to now our fanbase in North America is 57 percent female, which is very unique among NFL teams.”
Hunt added, “She’s clearly not a casual fan. She’s gone all in, which is really great. Again, we couldn’t be more happy for their relationship and we’re happy to have Taylor as part of the Chiefs Kingdom.”
While the Chiefs have made a concerted effort to keep the focus on gameday on the field, Hunt admitted there’s definitely a buzz in the air when Swift appears at Arrowhead.
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“When Taylor attends a game, there’s always a little bit of a spectacle going on in a suite somewhere in the building, which the networks have done a great job of capturing,” he said. “But I know our fans really enjoy it and love having her there knowing that she’s such a great Chiefs fan. It does create a different energy when she’s in attendance.”
Last year, Donovan shot down rumors that Swift and Kelce’s relationship was all part of some well-orchestrated master plan to increase the team’s fandom.
“I’d love to say that it was a marketing strategy,” Donovan said during a November 2024 appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box. “But it is an authentic relationship and we’re happy to have it. It’s been nothing but good for us.”