Football Association Might Capitalize on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Wedding This Season - To Some Extent
In the upcoming 2023 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to make history as they open on September 5 in São Paulo, Brazil. This season, games of the Chiefs will be aired on various platforms, including RTL+, DAZN (both paid streaming services in Germany), RTL, and Nitro (free-TV channels), and RTl+ will also offer live streams with exclusive content.
However, the NFL's coverage of the relationship between Chiefs' star player Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has been a subject of debate. In the past three years, this storyline has taken centre stage, often overshadowing the football action itself. This year, the coverage has been criticised for being overly obsessive, and there's a line between focusing on Swift and maintaining the integrity of football coverage.
Despite the controversy, major broadcasting platforms like YouTube, Netflix, CBS, Fox, NBC, Amazon, and ESPN/ABC will air at least one Chiefs' game this year, aiming to maximise the Kelce-Swift effect. Interestingly, the NFL's first-ever YouTube-exclusive matchup will be free of charge.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's engagement has garnered widespread congratulations, including from former President Donald Trump. The Chiefs' owner Clark Hunt claims that the team now has more female fans than male, although this claim is met with scepticism. Postseason ratings for the Chiefs indicate that female viewership spikes when they play.
Television executives believe the Chiefs are a bigger draw on television than even the Dallas Cowboys. However, the NFL's growth ceiling is limited, and the only logical expansion lies with women, particularly long-term NFL or Chiefs fans.
The Chiefs are planning for Kelce's exit, and so are the league's broadcast partners. According to ESPN's Nate Taylor, Kelce is expected to retire from the NFL this season. Despite this, CBS, which will carry eight of the Chiefs' 17 regular-season games, should not tailor every broadcast to Swifties.
Football fans should not be overshadowed by coverage of Kelce's relationship with Swift. Networks and streamers should strive to find the balance between focusing on Swift and maintaining the integrity of football coverage. The New York Times reported that the Chiefs' claim to the title as the biggest draw on television may not last forever or perhaps beyond this season.
RTL, on the other hand, offers up to three games weekly live in free TV and livestreams on RTL+ with exclusive content on their platform. There is no official or documented portrayal of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's relationship specifically by these NFL streaming platforms in the search results.
Swift delivers ratings for the NFL, but it's essential to remember that the NFL is a television product, and what's best for ratings is best for the league. YouTube has a unique opportunity to prove it can outdraw the league's other streaming partners.
In conclusion, the 2023 NFL season promises to be an exciting one for the Kansas City Chiefs, with the team's unique blend of on-field action and off-field drama. As the Chiefs prepare for potential changes, the league and its broadcast partners will have to navigate the line between appealing to fans and maintaining the integrity of football coverage.
