“Only so much that Taylor Swift can do”: 3x Super Bowl champ wants more 'violence and football fans' post popstar's influence in NFL
Taylor Swift opened up a new demographic for the NFL. Even though football was one of the most-watched games in the USA, Swift’s presence took the league's following to another level.
As per the experts, last season saw a surge of 53 percent in viewership among teenage females. However, a former NFL offensive tackle argues it’s not enough.
Matt Light played for the New England Patriots his entire career after being picked up in the 2001 NFL Draft. He retired in 2011 with three Super Bowl rings. The 45-year-old recently argued that Swift's NFL bump isn’t enough to maintain the momentum of the game in the coming years.
Light appeared on former Patriots teammate Julian Edelman’s podcast, ‘Games with Names’. The three-time Pro Bowler argued that while the presence of Taylor Swift, due to her involvement with Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce, has been beneficial for the NFL, this wouldn’t help the league in the long run:
“I'm saying like, look at it in terms of jersey sales and all that other stuff. Like there's only so much that Taylor Swift… the Swifties can do, okay, like keep going down that road. See how that pans out?” [01:29:46 – 01:29:55]
Light also gave a solution to woo the hardcore fans back to the NFL as the former Patriot stated:
“I mean like we need football fans. Yes, we need to bring the violence back. We need to allow these guys to blow people up over the middle.” [01:29:57 – 01:30:03]
This debate has been going on for some time, and many believe that the NFL has become a lot ‘soft’ in recent times.
What is the impact of Taylor Swift on the NFL?
According to many experts, the NFL enjoyed a boost on all their platforms because of being linked with Taylor Swift. As per reports, this has led to a steep increase in sponsorships, by about 20 percent. It has also produced a 53 percent increase in teenage female viewership and a 24 percent increase in 18-24 female demographic.
The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell himself agreed to the presence of a Taylor Swift phenomenon, suggesting that it creates a 'buzz' for the entire league.