Image via Getty Images Record-breaking female viewership figures are bringing a significant transformation to the NFL, challenging the old assumptions of who the real football fans are. Women are no longer mere spectators but ardent participants in the cultural dialogue of the sport.The NFL has been transformed by changing cultural attitudes and pop culture, even […]
Record-breaking female viewership figures are bringing a significant transformation to the NFL, challenging the old assumptions of who the real football fans are. Women are no longer mere spectators but ardent participants in the cultural dialogue of the sport.
The NFL has been transformed by changing cultural attitudes and pop culture, even though traditional marketing strategies have focused on a largely male audience, as it redefines what it means to be an NFL fan.
Taylor Swift is contributing a large women audience in the NFL
The NFL’s female audience comprises 47.7%, with Taylor Swift contributing to this demographic. “Football is the No. 1 sport among women in the U.S., and we keep growing,” says Marissa Solis, the senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing at the NFL. “I mean 68% of all women and girls in the U.S. are fans of the league.”
In 2021, Solis joined the NFL with brand experience from Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo. Under Chief Marketing Officer Tim Ellis, Solis aimed to expand fandom globally and introduce more perspectives to the gridiron community. “Our currency is relevance,” she says. “And we have to be relevant to all sorts of audiences, to young people, to women and to multicultural audiences.”
“I think the Taylor effect, as many people call it, obviously boosted our audience,” Solis says. “We love Taylor. She’s a huge icon among that audience. But we were already growing with that audience before that. I think she just helped us and came at the right time.”
Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce has significantly boosted sales at Kansas City-based fashion boutiques, demonstrating her ability to inspire her fans to spend money. Solis says her team is working hard to cater to the ever-growing audience and offers a preview of where her division is heading in the new year.
“There was a time when you might make a jersey pink or ‘pinkify’ something,” Solis says. “For women around sports, fashion has really become a thing. Women are playing fantasy football more and more, and they’re the ones that follow the players, know the stats, know who to get, because they’re just as competitive, if not more competitive, than men,” Solis added.
Also Read: Will Taylor Swift’s dad ditch Travis Kelce and support the Eagles during the Super Bowl LIX? The Chiefs’ TE gave a head-turning answer
Taylor Swift might contribute to higher Super Bowl ad sales, as Fox sold commercial spots for a record $8 million after the Chiefs won the AFC championship. The messaging in commercials and the potential for more storylines targeting women and Swifties remain uncertain.
