How much money did Pfizer offer Travis Kelce before he agreed to do the spot? Hint: It was a lot. According to Sportskeeda, the tight end was paid $20 million to appear in Pfizer commercials. It’s a whopping amount of money, even more so when you consider that his annual NFL salary is $14.3 million, per Spotrac. And, with a net worth of $40 million as of 2024, one payday from Pfizer accounts for half of those earnings.
So, why did Pfizer land on Kelce as the perfect spokesperson? For one thing, it could be because Kelce’s relationship with megastar Taylor Swift has seen him become a celebrity in his own right even beyond his athletic fame. For another, his crossover appeal makes him a hugely recognizable figure in the NFL, and the Kansas City Chiefs are one of the most successful franchises in modern history.
Despite the boatload of money that Pfizer paid Kelce, though, experts aren’t sure the campaign’s message is landing. Christopher Morse, PhD, chair of the Department of Communication at Bryant University, told Fox News, “People are tired of talking about [COVID-19].” He went on to explain that even Kelce’s superstar appeal might not be enough to sway public opinion. “I would argue that for health, celebrities don’t work very well, in general,” he added, citing privacy concerns. And Morse isn’t the only one who thinks so.
