- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's romance has many wondering whether or not it's a publicity stunt.
- PR experts and a brand strategist explained to Insider why they believe the coupling is genuine.
Taylor Swift is in her NFL era.
Ever since the "Cruel Summer" singer accepted an invitation to watch Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce defeat the Chicago Bears on September 24, everyone from Swifties to football fans have been glued to the pair's every move.
From the outside, it reads like the start of a high-school romance.
After the mustachioed football star had a missed connection with Swift at one of her concerts in July, he invited her to watch him play at the same venue, Arrowhead Stadium. She then showed up in his private suite, decked in a red-and-white Chiefs jacket, to enthusiastically cheer him on alongside his mom. The Kansas City team delivered on putting on a show for her, demolishing the Bears 41-10. The pair were subsequently snapped walking out of the stadium together and looking cozy at an after-party.
Many of Swift's fans are already all-in on the romance, believing wholeheartedly (and maybe naively) that their idol would never deceive them. Others, including "The View" host Sara Haines, believe Kelce and Swift are an elaborate "publicity stunt," thinking every moment of the rumored romance feels staged, right down to shots of Kelce and Swift seen in what appeared to be a "getaway car," referencing a popular Swift song.
"PR relationships have been going on since the beginning of Hollywood," Emma Telesca, a senior publicist at Anderson Group Public Relations, told Insider. "I will say the Taylor Swift effect is on another level."
In recent years, many have speculated famous couples like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries were orchestrated, but Telesca and other experts don't think that's what's going on here.
"They obviously enjoy each other's company," Telesca said of Kelce and Swift. "They were at an after-party together. It's not like they just got a pap shot and left."
Insider spoke with three PR experts, including Telesca, and a brand strategist to find out if Kelce and Swift are the real deal.
PR experts aren't buying it's a stunt because they believe Kelce isn't who Swift would choose
"If Taylor Swift wanted to do a publicity stunt, I don't think Travis Kelce would be the guy that she would pick, frankly," Ronn Torossian, founder of 5WPR, told Insider.
Torossian said the singer is famous enough now that she doesn't need to rely on gimmicks for attention, and if that was her goal, she likely would have chosen someone with a bigger profile.
"There are plenty of athletes that you have heard of. Travis Kelce would not be one of them. He does not have the crossover appeal that Taylor Swift is saying, 'Oh my goodness, I'm going to get his fans.' Give me a break." Torossian said.
"She is one of the most famous entertainers in the world. If she wanted to date one of the most famous athletes in the world, I'm confident she could. He would not be one of them," he continued of Kelce, who, at 33, is considered one of the greatest tight ends to ever play in the NFL.
Brand strategist Adam Hanft told Insider that the "Bad Blood" singer appears to do things organically, so he agrees it doesn't appear to be a stunt.
"I think there's something happening there that is spontaneous," Hanft explained. "I think this is an example of something that at least for the moment, feels genuine to me."
Nikki, who asked to only be identified by her first name and represents clients in the entertainment industry, pointed to Swift's cautiousness with overexposure as a reason for the budding relationship's sincerity.
"She doesn't do things that she's not comfortable having out there, and I don't see her as wanting to do this at this time unless she really felt like it was worth it for her personally," Nikki said, adding of Kelce: "Based on everything we've seen, it feels like he really is into her."
Even if the romance is fake, everybody wins
Telesca said the relationship is mutually beneficial for both.
For Swift's part, she stays top of mind while on break from tour and builds hype for two of her major projects next month. Her highly anticipated concert tour movie hits theaters on October 13 and her next rerecorded album, "1989 (Taylor's Version)" is expected to drop two weeks later. And, even if the relationship fizzles out, fans will circle back to discussing it when they are inevitably given a brand-new album to dissect.
Kelce, meanwhile, has seen his jersey sales spike nearly 400% so far, has gained 1.3 million followers total across Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter), and has seen an increase in listeners for his and his brother Jason Kelce's podcast "New Heights," which has soared to No. 1 on Apple.
"It seems pretty clear that he's interested in crossing over out of the sports world and more to a household name for the masses, and this certainly helps with that," Nikki said of how the romance benefits Kelce. "But the way he talks about her and just the path this is all taking feels pretty genuine to me."
However, experts are divided on whether it's a big deal or not if the relationship does end up being a stunt.
"It doesn't actually matter if it is real," said Telesca, who also believes the relationship is genuine. "The bottom line is people are talking about them — Talking in their group chats, talking in the press, and it just keeps everybody relevant."
"What matters to them is they're having fun. It looks like they're having a good time and they're in the news," she added.
Torossian disagrees. "Taylor Swift is a hero to many people, a role model to many people. She's obviously had relationship drama in her life. I think it does matter that it's real," Torossian said, adding, "Her whole aura for me is very real, very much of real authenticity. I couldn't see how she could benefit by this being fake."
The biggest winner here isn't Kelce or Swift — it's the NFL
Clearly, Kelce is getting more out of this pairing than Swift, but neither is benefiting as much as the National Football League.
Swift's appearance at the Chiefs and Bears game was the highest-watched game on any network in the past week with 24.3 million viewers. Fox Sports reported the game also ranked first with female viewers ranging from ages 12-17, 18-34, and 18-49.
"The NFL needs to be thanking its lucky stars for Taylor Swift," Torossian said of what Swift has done for the league by going to one game. "Think about what that does for ticket prices."
Last week, Stubhub reported ticket sales and searches for the Chiefs have tripled ahead of their game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday. Friday morning, the cheapest tickets were priced at $110.
Higher viewership is expected this weekend as Swift is reported to return to the NJ stadium where she performed in May. If Swift becomes a staple at Chiefs games until she heads to Argentina for the next leg of her Eras Tour in November, she could continue to drive higher ratings.
"The biggest winners in this romance to date would absolutely be the NFL," Torossian added. "They should be riding that train as long as they can."
If Swift is in her NFL era, the NFL is definitely in its Taylor Swift era.