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Travis Kelce Thanks Girlfriend Taylor Swift for Increase in His Jersey Sales: ‘Lotta Swifties’
Travis Kelce can only find one explanation for his and brother Jason Kelce’s jersey sales going up in the United Kingdom — Taylor Swift. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end gave a “shoutout” to his girlfriend for likely prompting the sales boost.
“We are the No. 1 and No. 2 top-selling jerseys in the U.K.,” Philadelphia Eagles center Jason, 36, told Travis, 34, during their “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday, December 13. “This is crazy. It’s Travis, then me, then [Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes].”
While both Travis and Jason agreed that it “doesn’t make any sense,” the older Kelce brother asked, “Lotta Swifties over there in the U.K.?”
“It’s gotta be — it’s the only reasonable solution to all this,” Travis added. Meanwhile, Jason joked that fans in the U.K. might not be as familiar with American football and bought his jersey “by accident” because they heard a “Kelce guy dates Taylor Swift.”
“Shoutout to Taylor,” Travis concluded, adding that Jason’s wife, Kylie Kelce, also has a fanbase that might have boosted Jason’s jersey sales. “They’re all Kylie Kelce fans. So they’re supporting Kylie, of course.”
Travis and Taylor, 34, began dating after Travis revealed on the podcast that he attempted to give the singer a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it during her July 7 concert in Kansas City, Missouri. Though he didn’t get the chance to pass the bracelet on, Taylor heard about his attempt and reached out.
The couple’s relationship was kept a secret until September 24, when she appeared in the VIP box at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium alongside Travis’ mom, Donna Kelce, to watch the Chiefs play against the Chicago Bears. Her attendance caused a huge buzz on social media, as well as an increase in NFL viewership and a national spike in Travis’ jersey sales.
Taylor has since appeared at five other Chiefs games, but the media attention has not slowed down. Travis admitted in October that he felt the NFL was “overdoing it” a little with showing Taylor in the box.
“I think it’s fun when they show who was at the game. I think it brings a little bit more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you’re watching,” he said. “But at the same time I think … They’re overdoing it a little bit for sure, especially my situation. [But] I think they’re just trying to have fun with it.”
For Taylor, it’s only ever been about showing up to support her man. She acknowledged the backlash she’s received from some football fans in her TIME Person of the Year interview on December 6, noting that she has no control over what the NFL shows on TV.
“I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in,” she told the publication. “There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once. I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”
Plus, the “Lavender Haze” hitmaker admitted she’s started to love football.
“Football is awesome, it turns out,” she said. “I’ve been missing out my whole life.”
