When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce hard-launched their relationship back in September 2023 — the biggest pop star on the planet seated next to Donna Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Chicago Bears — the NFL was forever changed. Regardless of viewers’ knowledge or interest in professional football, everybody — EVERYBODY — started tuning in on Sundays. It was impossible not to notice, especially for women like Charissa Thompson and Erin Andrews, who opened up about the impact Swift has had on the league.
NFL sportscasters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson paid a visit to the New Heights podcast, where the subject of Taylor Swift came up (naturally), as well as whether or not ultimate girl dad Jason Kelce is able to share his love of football with his daughters. While he hasn't gotten them on board just yet, Thompson did want to tell Travis Kelce how big a deal it is to have his fiancée at his games. She said:
Erin and I have talked about it with women and young viewership, like, Taylor’s impact cannot be overlooked. Those little girls that maybe didn’t have an interest in football and then sit down because it’s her. The commercials and the different little videos that you see, now all of a sudden the dads have a bond with their daughter over her is so special.
All the dads, Brads and Chads complaining that the NFL overdid their coverage of Taylor Swift in those early days of her and Travis Kelce’s relationship can sit right down, because for a lot of girl dads, NFL games became something they could bond with their daughters over.
In fact, bonding with their fathers over sports is exactly why Charissa Thompson and Erin Andrews — whose own impact on women in sports media shouldn’t be overlooked — chose the career path they did. Thompson said:
Again, as two women who have made a career out of this because of their dads, to have those moments, like, who knows what kind of impact that will have later on in their lives in a myriad of different ways. But it was really special to see.
It was great, also, to see how Travis and Jason Kelce embraced Swifties becoming football fans, as Taylor's loyal followers scooped up those No. 87 Chiefs jerseys and started tuning into New Heights, where the Super Bowl champions patiently explained the most basic fundamentals of the game for new fans. Jason agreed that talking to people about his future sister-in-law’s impact has been “awesome,” saying:
That’s one of the coolest things I get, when people talk about Taylor and Travis and hearing from dads or hearing from daughters about that. It’s an awesome thing.
It’s possible that Erin Andrews had a hand in getting “your English teacher and your gym teacher together,” as she’s jokingly taken credit for the couple. However it happened, lots of Swifties are grateful to witness Taylor Swift finally get the “Love Story” she’s always wanted — and if it means having something else to bond with your dad or husband or brother over on Sundays, all the better.
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