Perhaps it wasn’t so bad that Travis Kelce was fawning over Arnold Schwarzenegger on the “New Heights” podcast, despite his son supposedly dating Taylor Swift years ago. Much like how Kelce praised Schwarzenegger for his work, the former California governor has done the same for Swift.
Once she began a relationship with Kelce, the “Cruel Summer” singer caught heat for attending his NFL games and bringing newfound attention to the game, like the rage she endured amid the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens game. However, Schwarzenegger defended Swift against the backlash. In February, he told Yahoo Entertainment, “Football itself draws the hugest crowd because it’s the most popular sport. But then to have someone like her [Swift] be there and watch the game adds another kind of a thing that [attracts] a different audience.” Unlike many haters out there, Schwarzenegger found it special that she was introducing a new audience to the NFL. He said, “Especially younger girls are now more into football, they know the rules and all of that stuff, so it’s really amazing.”
Schwarzenegger wasn’t wrong when he said Swift got more young women interested in football. According to NBC News, the Chiefs game vs. the New York Jets saw a 53% increase in girl viewers between the ages of 12 and 17, and this was just one of the many changes the NFL saw after Swift began attending games.
