MetLife Stadium ‘Boo’ At A Taylor Swift After Seeing Her Ad On The Big TV
Last night, Taylor Swift made a virtual appearance at MetLife Stadium, leaving NFL fans with mixed feelings. The pop sensation’s image was streamed into the stadium to promote her upcoming concert movie, covering her successful Eras tour.
Just a day prior, Swift was physically present at the Meadowlands, watching her new beau, Travis Kelce, and his Kansas City Chiefs secure a victory over the New York Jets.
The NFL seemed to embrace Swift’s presence at games, given the massive viewership of the Chiefs game, which attracted around 27 million viewers. The league even briefly updated its Instagram account with a post stating, “The Chiefs are 2-0 as Swifties.” However, the post was removed after facing backlash from fans.
During the game, NBC cameras frequently turned to Swift to capture her reactions to various plays, putting her in the spotlight. **Fan Backlash** Swift’s football “take-over” received backlash from some NFL fans who found the constant cutaways to the singer distracting. Notable sports writer Jeff Pearlman and Fox contributor Tomi Lahren voiced their frustrations on social media.
Even Terry Bradshaw, co-host of Fox NFL Sunday, got involved by handing out handmade Taylor Swift friendship bracelets to his co-workers during the live broadcast, jokingly saying, “You’re now part of the Swiftie group.”
As the Chiefs played, Swift was joined in her suite at MetLife by celebrity pals Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and more, creating additional buzz around the game.
Viewership peaked at an estimated 29.4 million during the game when the Jets closed in on the Chiefs during the second quarter, surpassing the previous week’s viewership when Swift cheered on Kelce and the Chiefs.
Across NBC’s digital platforms, including Peacock, the game drew 1.85 million viewers, marking NBC Sports’ largest streaming audience for a regular-season Sunday NFL game, with a 42 percent increase from the previous year’s Week 4 game.
Swift’s support for her new beau attracted a new demographic to the NFL, with an increase in female viewers across all age groups, adding more than 2 million female viewers, according to NBC.
Diehard football fans took to social media to criticize NBC’s coverage, particularly the frequent cutaways to Swift and her A-list friends.
One of the most controversial moments occurred after the Chiefs’ first touchdown when cameras immediately shifted to Swift and her celebrity pals in their suite instead of showing the players celebrating on the field.
Swift remained coy about her romance with Kelce but was spotted whispering to her friend Blake Lively during the game, sparking fan excitement.
After the game, Swift and Kelce reportedly left the stadium separately, with Kelce sticking with his teammates and boarding the Chiefs’ bus. Swift, on the other hand, continued the celebration at a private members club in New York City.
The Chiefs’ next game is a trip to Minnesota to face off against Kirk Cousins. On Monday, the Seahawks defeated the anti-Swift Giants 24-3.
Taylor Swift’s presence at MetLife Stadium during an NFL game sparked a mix of excitement and frustration among fans, with the constant cutaways to the pop star overshadowing some of the on-field action. The NFL seemed to embrace Swift’s presence, leading to increased viewership and a new demographic of female fans tuning in to catch a glimpse of the 12-time Grammy Award winner.
