The NFL’s marketing team seems to be playing with fire, stirring up some serious backlash from diehard football fans. Their latest promotional stunt, a 30-second video posted on X (formerly Twitter), might grab the attention of teenage girls, but at what cost to the league’s core audience?
The video, meant to hype up the 2023 season kickoff on Thursday with the Baltimore Ravens facing the Kansas City Chiefs, featured five clips of pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Now, Swift’s been a huge media sensation, no doubt, especially since she started appearing at Chiefs games to support her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. But let’s be real: did football fans tune in for touchdowns or Taylor?
Throughout the season, Swift’s appearances at games turned into their own spectacle. The NFL and broadcasters seemed eager to capitalize on this celebrity moment, but not everyone was thrilled.
Fans, who just want to enjoy football, weren’t so keen on the constant focus on Swift. When Monday’s promotional video gave her as much screen time as NFL superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, it left many fans scratching their heads.
In the video, Kelce showed up three times, but one of those appearances was him kissing Swift. Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, made only a single appearance, and Jackson, the 2023 MVP, didn’t even get the full screen to himself. Meanwhile, other standout players, like Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, the NFL Rookie of the Year, were nowhere to be found.
It’s not that Swift is demanding all this attention—at least, there’s no evidence she is. The NFL seems to have decided that putting her front and center is part of their strategy.
But, by doing this, they’re risking alienating their most loyal fans, the ones who care deeply about the sport and its players.
This Swift-heavy focus has left many hardcore football fans feeling overlooked. And much like political strategies that neglect the “forgotten” middle class, the NFL’s current approach might backfire in the long run. Fans want to feel valued, and when they don’t, they let the league know in no uncertain terms.
If the NFL continues down this road, prioritizing celebrity over the game, they might find that catering to a fleeting trend leaves them with more losses than wins.
