NBC has announced that the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the New York Jets on Sunday (1 October) ranked as the most-watched Sunday NFL show since the Super Bowl LVII in February.
The Chiefs have seen a wave of new attention since it was reported that superstar singer Taylor Swift is dating their tight end, Travis Kelce.
According to NBC, the Chiefs’ 23-20 win over the Jets averaged approximately 27 million viewers across the broadcaster and its streaming platform, Peacock.
The figure is up 22 per cent from the Chiefs’ week four game last year, which saw them take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Swift arrived at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday with a host of celebrity friends, including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman and Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski.
The 33-year-old “Anti-Hero” singer was seen jokingly mocking Kelce’s antics on the field as she pretended to punch the air.
In footage shared by Fox Sports on X, Swift could be seen shouting “let’s f***ing go”, after Kelce made a touchdown and scored for the team.
She was also seen hugging Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, and posed for a selfie with Lively, Reynolds, and Jackman.
Singer Taylor Swift cheers prior to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on 1 October— (Getty Images)
Her appearance comes a week after she attended the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. After the game, which saw the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears 41-10, Swift and Kelce were filmed leaving the stadium together in the NFL star’s convertible. They reportedly then rented out an entire restaurant for a private, post-game celebration.
Dating rumours began to circulate in July after Kelce admitted on his podcast with his brother Jason, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, that he had tried to give the pop star his number with a friendship bracelet.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Kelce explained. He playfully added that he felt “butthurt” that he wasn’t able to follow through with his plan and give Swift his number. “I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” he said.
He added: “If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets, and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.”
